Encounters
by Rainfelt aka Phoe-chan
Summary: Modern AU; Semi-Darkfic. BK. Out of all the people who frequented her bar he was the one she was interested in the most. A series of encounters brings Kaoru deeper into the world of her mysterious red-haired patron, and ultimately, closer to him.
1. Part I

**AN: **Hummm. This took three attempts before I got a beginning I liked. It was not that I struggled, per se, but I had two scenarios I tried to write for separate stories... and then realized I could combine them into one. And then suddenly the words were just _there_. I like this piece. It is not my brain-child like _Sortarius_ is, but it is _fun_ to write. It may be a little fast paced, but I think it flows well. I don't quite call this a dark fic, but it is definitely darker than a lot of what I seem to churn out these days. Although this has the potential to go on for several chapters, I do not intend for it to. I'm thinking four to five, tops.

I've had this chapter done for a while now, but not had the time to get it beta'd and posted. But here it is, as I struggle to finish the next chapter of _Sortiarius_ before impending finals. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing.

**Warnings:** Violence, and later, citrus. (grin)

_Encounters_

XX

Scotch. He always ordered scotch. In fact, she no longer had to ask. The color red now triggered an automatic response to grab the bottle sitting on the third shelf and to her left. He had his preferred table. And usually after about three glasses nursed over an hour to two hour period, he would pay, tip well and leave.

He was not much for words, and she truly did not mind. In fact, she liked the mystery. He had been coming nearly twice a week for months now, always by himself, and always in the same manner—quiet, isolated, aloof. _Cold._

Some of her coworkers who had originally waited on him had tried to approach him with more _personal_ interests in mind. She honestly could not blame them from a physical standpoint. He was handsome—no, scratch that. He was _beautiful._ However, his lack of interest, and even borderline hostility had quickly scared most of them off. There were a few more persistent, and Kaoru saw the potential disaster budding. Typically, she stayed behind the bar. She did not like serving, and she was a good bartender.

However, one night a couple of months ago he had come in, and she could _feel_ the anger radiating off of him. It barely showed outwardly, but he seemed more rigid than normal, lips pressed into a tight line. Cindy had been working that night, and from across the pub Kaoru had seen her planning to take his table.

Kaoru had the distinct feeling if she had let the blonde go on with her plan, she would have been dead before the night was over with.

And so she found herself placing a glass of scotch in front of him, the base clinking softly on the table. She said nothing, having filled the order enough times to know it was what he preferred. He had lifted his gaze to her, with eyes a strange color of antique gold that seemed almost unnatural, and yet utterly fitting for him. They watched her with sharp calculation, as if assessing her and her motives, much like she had seen him do every other woman who worked there and had waited on him.

She tilted her head at him with cool regard and gave him a singular, sharp nod. No words left her lips, and she returned to the bar. Through sheer luck, Cindy had been unable to weave over to his side of the tables due to a burst of customers. He had left after one refill, and had tipped her handsomely.

The next time, Kaoru had been preoccupied before Cindy could approach. Two minutes later, the blonde came over, irritated, and stated angrily that the man had requested Kaoru to wait on him and would not have anyone else.

She had tried really hard to not be amused as she brought his drink to him. There was a quiet, mutual exchange—an _understanding._ He did not want to be bothered, and she did not care to bother him.

From then on out she was the only one who waited on him, and he was making her wallet a little happier than normal with his generous tipping.

Truly, she could not complain.

Still, she found herself curious about him. How could she not? She was not immune to his physical appearance. He was slight, barely taller than herself, but there was a grace about him that suggested a lot of power in his form. She took kendo; she could recognize it for what it was easily. His red hair was long, with the majority of it pulled back into a ponytail that ended half-way down his back. The rest covered his face in messy layers, hiding a scar she had gotten a glimpse of once or twice. It was thin, cross shaped, stretching across his left cheek and covering part of his nose. It looked almost... deliberate.

And yet, she still did not ask. She did not have a name, either. He always paid in cash, and the girl who had carded him originally (he certain _looked_ young) before he became a regular had quit some time ago. He was quite the mystery.

She liked mystery.

It let her imagination have fun. She had already begun to wildly speculate he did something secretive and exciting for a living. Maybe a spy or an assassin, something ridiculously unrealistic, and yet dark enough to humor her. She supposed it was entirely possible, even if it was unlikely. Words and whispers of dark, underground things going on in alleyways and behind closed doors hinted at much beyond what she knew, though they were only rumors. He did fit in with those ideas, though. He always dressed in dark clothes, and had never offered much to identify himself. She had barely heard him speak a dozen words since she had started waiting on him. Half of them were likely no's and yes's to whether or not he wanted a refill. And yet, his voice, quiet and soft, had a rich timbre that made her wish he would speak more. That way she could think about it later, when she was alone and free to do such things.

It was okay to dream a little; it was not like he knew, after all, and she was not so flaky and obvious as to act on anything as simple as an attraction based solely on appearance and what she speculated he was like. Though sometimes... when she suspected he thought she was not looking, she would see his head angled in a way that made it seem like he might be looking in her direction. She suspected, though, she was only wishing that were the case.

It was a slow night when he came in next. Rain was falling outside, and it was already late. He was late as far as his usual time went, but she wordlessly put down her cleaning cloth and poured his glass. His body language suggested he was feeling more withdrawn than normal. He was curled in against himself, and it almost looked like he was not feeling well. His face was otherwise its normal stoicism, so she thought little of it outside of filing it away in her memory. His jacket was wet from outside, and his hair clung to the material and around his face. He barely acknowledged the glass in front of him, and she moved away to tend to other duties.

It took her a little while to realize he had not touched his glass. The place was dead, and Tina was busy closing down the far section of the pub since it was obvious they would not be needing it. Kaoru was putting away glasses when she looked up, expecting to need to go over and inquire about a refill. Her brows rose to find the drink looked as full as when she brought it over. Exhaling through her nose, she put up what she had in her hands and walked over, her footfalls alerting him of her approach. He shifted slightly, acknowledging her presence and she stared down at him. She was quiet for a moment, before she offered, "What else can I get for you?"

"Nothing." His voice was gruff, more so than usual.

She arched a brow. "Drink's on me, then."

She left him alone, and he left not too long after that. The tip on the table was more than enough to cover the drink and tip her. She cursed softly, and went to wipe the table off when she noted something on the leather of the booth. Frowning, she swiped at it with her wash towel, and was surprised to see the dingy white stained dark red.

Tentatively, she lifted the soiled cloth to her nose. It was hard to tell amidst the other smells, but she was fairly certain it was blood.

Her brow furrowed. It was not like she could do anything. She did not even have his name. Sighing, she cleaned the mess up, and it was only in doing so did she start to get a little worried.

That was a... suspiciously large amount of blood.

XX

It had been two weeks since she had last seen him. She cursed herself for being worried. What was she to do, though? Even if he were in serious need of help, she had no way of identifying him. What was she supposed to do? Go to the police and say "There is a regular at my bar. He has red hair and a cross-shaped scar. I think he might have bled to death two weeks ago." Right, yeah. They would _totally_ take her seriously.

Her agitation was staring to show through, especially when she kept jerking her head up at the door anytime someone walked in, hoping to see the familiar head of red hair. She was cursing herself, frustrated at her worrying over someone she hardly knew when he finally did walk in. She stopped what she was doing, blue eyes narrowing in on his form. He slipped into his usual seat with that usual grace, and none of the tenseness from last time was visible in his posture. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glanced out the window and waited.

She pursed her lips and stood, grabbing a glass off the rack and filling it. She knew he heard her approaching, and she placed the glass down in front of him. She felt almost satisfied when he gave pause to the drink, staring at it before lifting his gaze up to her. One red brow was arched coolly, and she canted her head in response, regarding him with a neutral expression.

"Water?" He inquired softly.

She shrugged. "I'll get you your usual if you're not bleeding out this time."

He stiffened, and she had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Did he seriously think he did not leave a trail behind with that much blood? She shifted her weight, placing a hand on her hip. "Well?"

After a moment, he relaxed, glancing back out the window. "I'm not bleeding." A smirk threatened to pull at her lips at the unspoken '_now'_ that hung after. She left to retrieve his usual drink.

The night played on pretty normally until the end. Kaoru bit back her frustration at the man in front of her. He had been in a few times and was an obnoxious drunk. Loud, uncouth, and overbearing in his attempts at getting her to come back to his place. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as he waved her over, once again suggesting that she should come back to his apartment for some fun once she was done with her shift. She politely declined, and when he stated he wanted another round, she also told him she was cutting him off.

Usually, he was disgruntled. Sometimes would curse under his breath or storm off. This time he got really angry. She hissed when he slapped his glass off the bar and onto the floor, and was displeased at the fact she was not behind the bar as she normally preferred to be. She just _had_ to go set the silverware. He reached out, grabbing her wrist, which she pulled back with a sharp flick. She was not a helpless woman, and if he suspected her to just cower before him, he was _sorely_ mistaken.

He lunged at her again, and she briefly wondered where the hell her manager was before a hand clamped down tightly on the man's wrist. Kaoru sucked in a breath through her teeth, and she wondered how she could have forgotten _he_ was there. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she realized these two had never been in on the same night, and she shifted her gaze over to the slight man who stood to the side, his hand like a vice on the much larger man. He tried to pull back, angrily gurgling something obscene and Kaoru watched with morbid fascination as the redhead simply twisted the man's arm at an unnatural way. He made a pained noise, bending to accommodate the strain, until he was down on his knees. Kaoru was convinced she could hear his bones creaking in protest.

"Leave her alone."

The words were quiet, but the threat laced through them had even Kaoru worried. She shifted uneasily and turned her attention to where her manager was hurriedly coming out from the office. Her eyes cut over to the the two men and they widened to see her redheaded patron was already back at his booth, calmly sitting down and returning to his drink. The bigger man was holding onto his wrist, half-coherent words escaping him.

How _had_ he moved so fast and with so little a sound? She had no answer, even after spending all night thinking about it later.

Their routine continued after that, falling back into its normal swing. The only difference Kaoru could recall was that a few nights after that incident, he asked if she had been bothered anymore. She was surprised, before she shook her head. They left the exchange at that.

XX

He plagued her thoughts more than what she considered to be healthy. She was not what she would call obsessed, but infatuated was sounding close to accurate. The thought irritated her on many levels. She did not like thinking about some man she hardly knew, and seemed to have psychopathic tendencies.

And yet, here she was, interested, intrigued, and attracted. Damn her preferences in men.

Sighing, she picked up her pace. It was wet and somewhat chilly out. The rain was relentless, and she was irritated by the fact the bus system had been delayed. Her car was at the shop, and after much deliberation, she had decided walking home in the rain was likely faster than standing at the bus stop waiting for a bus delayed by an accident at one of the major intersections. She was glad for the news update on her phone. As Misao always loved to say, _"There's an app for that."_

Still, she wondered if perhaps she would have been better off waiting in the poor shelter of the stop. She was soaked to the bone, and it was dark out. The street lamps offered little lighting, and she felt more than a little vulnerable out here by herself. Scowling, she fingered the pepper spray in her coat pocket, and wished it was not so cumbersome to carry around a bokken. She had traversed this path from work before, and it was not exactly unsafe, but being a woman out late at night in the city was still a bad thing.

She was glad her house was not much further away, and could make out the lights of the residential area in the near distance. She crossed the street and rounded the corner when something splattered across her face. She jerked her head back in surprise, before her eyes focused in on the scene before here. It was steely resolve that kept her from screaming or losing her lunch as she stared at the bodies strewn out before her like some sort of bad horror film. Blood swirled with rainwater on the concrete, and standing amidst it all was a very familiar figure. The streetlamp illuminated red hair that looked much darker, and she half wondered if it was because he was covered in blood. He staggered briefly before he jerked straight at realizing she was there. Their eyes met, and she could not promise herself it was bravery that kept her rooted in place.

He shifted, and she saw a reflection of light in his hands. A knife? No...a _sword_. Good gods, he was carrying a sword.

She made a noise when he moved toward her, and her eyes widened when he stumbled forward. They were mere feet apart, and she was certain he was going to kill her.

Instead, he swayed and dropped to his knees, his blade clattering loudly to the sidewalk.

She cursed herself when her hands caught him before he hit the ground.

This officially pushed her into the realms of obsession, she was pretty damned sure.

XX

The first thing he was aware of when his body started to return to consciousness was the sincere amount of pain he was in. He was not unfamiliar with pain, but rarely did he have moments like these. The serotonin still dripping through his system was making him sleepy enough that he could not yet focus, and it was only by sheer willpower (and quite possibly discomfort) that he forced himself to not fall back into sleep's embrace. The second thing he was aware of was a soft, warm weight on his legs. The third was the fact he did not know where he was. The atmosphere, even as he had yet to open his eyes, was completely different than his usual haunts.

Carefully, cautiously, he opened his eyes just a fraction. Warm light greeted him first, and as blurred lines became less distorted, he realized he was in someone's house, propped up by a large amount of pillows on a sofa. The walls were painted a pale yellow, and the blanket covering him was black and lavender. There was a lived-in feel to the room brought on by knickknacks, picture frames, and a few articles casually tossed in random places they otherwise should not have been. His gaze leveled on the weight on his legs, and had he not felt like he did, he would have arched a brow at the cat curled up atop him without a care in the world. Her tortoiseshell pattern shifted with her soft breathing, and he could make out the blue of a collar around her neck.

His eyes drifted over to a familiar-looking uniform draped over a chair and as things slowly began to piece together, his world faded back to black.

XX

When he regained consciousness again, the light in the room was much dimmer. He was not sure if it was the evening of the same day or another day, but there was a pounding in his head that he could attribute to dehydration and he knew he needed to get water in his system. He lifted his head to look around and heard a soft noise not far away. Carefully, he rotated his gaze to the armchair across from him, and the figure sitting in it. She sat there, wrapped in too-large cotton pants and a camisole, with her hair wrapped up in a towel. She was staring at him, and his eyes fell to her lap, where both a book and a bokken lay. He _did_ arch a brow at that before he returned his gaze to her face.

This was interesting.

He stared at her quietly, calculating thoughts running through his head. Memories came back as to what he had been doing and how she came into the picture. He did remember seeing her before he blacked out. He honestly had not expected _this_ when he came-to, however. He broke eye contact with her to assess his physical condition. He did not get much further past the metal linking his wrists together. He stared at the handcuffs. They were enough to be inhibiting, but not enough to keep him uncomfortable, and he _almost_ smiled.

This was _very_ interesting.

He heard her shift and his eyes quickly cut back to her, and she slowly put her book down and stood. Watching her like a hawk, he tracked her movements as she walked across the room to the kitchen, and he recognized the sound of running water. When she returned, she was carrying that wooden sword of hers and a tall glass of water. There was a nervousness in her presence but it was, all considering, very well-masked. Her hands did not shake, but she was tense as she helped him drink. He suspected she was not sure if he would attack her, and he approved of that concern. He relaxed against the pillows once he was finished and she pulled back, returning to her perch in her chair. He could go on with the silence forever, but he could tell it was making her uncomfortable.

He ignored that fact and let his eyes drift back down to his body. There were some bandages on his chest, probably more elsewhere under the blankets. He suspected he did not have much in the way of clothing on. Everything hurt, but she had apparently done a decent job patching him up for someone who obviously was not a doctor. He wondered about that. Perhaps she had help.

He hoped not. The body count was already high.

His musings were interrupted when the cat from before jumped up at his feet. He saw her stiffen, hissing a name underneath her breath—_"Mango!"_—and the cat pointedly ignored her, kneading herself a little spot on the blankets at his lap and curling up into a ball. He saw her breath catch as he moved, and did not release it until his bound hand began petting the creature between the ears. The feline began to purr and she relaxed slightly.

He broke the silence first. "Do you work tonight?"

She was caught off guard and it showed, quiet for a long time before she opted to answer him. Slowly, she shook her head. "Called out," She murmured quietly.

"How long have I slept?"

"Not quite two days."

"I am sorry I made you miss work."

He watched her process this unexpected apology, her brows tucking low and her gaze pensive. "You killed an entire group of people and you choose to apologize to me because I missed work?" Her voice was soft, but incredulous.

He said nothing, staring at her through messy bangs that needed washing. She swallowed hard, eyes flickering to her cat then back to him. Finally, the tension left her and she slumped into her chair. "Just be sure to tip extra next time and we'll call it even, mmk?"

The soft noise of exhale could almost be considered amused as he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him once again.

XX

He was gone.

She had left for the store needing a few supplies. She had been contemplating on just how much she needed to not skip a third night of work when she stepped through the door and had been met with an empty house. The blankets were folded on the sofa, and the sword of his was gone from her kitchen table. His clothes had been too soiled to salvage, so he must have taken something of hers to wear. She had some unisex clothing she did not doubt would have fit him. She also noted with sincere concern that the handcuffs sat atop the blankets, unlocked. ...As if to make a point.

There was something else that bothered her. Surely, she did not dress wounds like that often, but he should not have been able to really move around much yet. On that note, when she had checked his dressings that morning, they had looked remarkably well considering the amount of time since his injuries. He had said nothing as she had assessed him, and had remained perfectly still. His eyes had never once left her form, sharp and calculating. They put her on edge. Scratch that, his whole presence had put her on edge.

An edge still lingering now that she was staring at her empty house. Was he around the corner, waiting to kill her? Would he come back to off her as a witness? Worry ate at her, and she quietly put her things down. Mango came up and headbutted her legs.

What now?

XX

She had surprised him yet again. On so many levels. Simply waking up to find she had taken him in and cared for him had been something he had not expected, but in hindsight he realized he should not have been surprised. He could see that sort of protective nature in the way she interacted with other people. She had stepped in that first night when that vapid waitress had intended to approach him. He had been in foul spirits that day, and his control had been not as strong as he would have liked. He could tell by the blonde's body language that she was going to try; he had not been certain she would have escaped unharmed, either.

And then he noticed how this woman had intervened. Not out of interest in him, but because she had _sensed_ the danger and had put herself in harm's way to protect the blonde from her own foolishness. That kind of person was rare in these times, and that kind of virtue caught his interest. Beyond that, she had acknowledged that he was dangerous; she boldly, albeit silently, indicated she was not concerned and that she would leave him be. It pleased him, much to his own surprise.

He gleaned a lot about her from listening. She got along fairly well with her co-workers, and so it was easy to just listen and sift through the voices to find out what information he wanted. Her name was Kaoru. She lived nearby. She was not allowed in the kitchen under any pretense of cooking. She made a mean Long Island Iced Tea. The list went on.

It took him some time to realize he was no longer coming to this bar because it was habitual. He was starting to enjoy seeing her. He never really spoke _to _her, but when she was not looking, he was watching her. She was animated and sharp-witted. She moved with grace acquired from practice (which he now realized was kendo after seeing that bokken in her lap), and he had to appreciate that movement. She was pretty, too. Slightly tomboyish, with feminine features that made her cutesy. He was not sure it appealed to him on its own, but coupled with her personality he found he liked it.

But not enough to risk actually letting her know him. It was simply something to get his mind off of everything else. He kept telling himself that. _That _resolution shattered three nights ago when she stumbled upon that stupid ambush. He had not immediately realized she was there, but when he did his breath caught. Blood was splattered across her cheeks—did he do that?—and she was staring at him with a mixture of shock and apprehension. She did not run, though.

He remembered moving toward her, but truthfully he was so close to passing out he did not recall his reasoning why. Certainly, he was drilled to not allow witnesses, and he wondered if he was acting on instinct and had intended to kill her. He did not remember anything until he woke up in her house. He doubted he had even managed to raise his weapon at her.

She had cared for him, tended to his wounds. She had not ever let her guard down while he had been awake; though truthfully her attempts would have been in vain if he had really wanted to kill her at that point. He did not. He was certain it would cause him hell later, but he did not have it to kill the one thing in his life that was constant and welcome and _right_.

He glanced down at his katana. She had cleaned the blood from it. He had taken an old t-shirt and some sweats of hers, admittedly grateful for being a small man. He would have to return those later. Tossing the garments aside, he stripped down so he could properly shower. As he walked past the mirror in his condo, he noted the bright pink lines that had just healed. How much had she picked up on that, he wondered.

He would see.

XX

**AN: **_I would greatly appreciate your thoughts, likes, dislikes and constructive criticisms. Review, please. -Phoe-chan_


	2. Part II

**AN**: _Been chipping away at this chapter for a better portion of a week. Kept wanting to add more on to it, but did not want to move too far ahead with some things._

**Warnings**: Language.

_Encounters_

Part II

**XX**

He was back again. She had pondered on what her reaction would be if he walked through those doors. No, not if. _When._ She knew he would not simply disappear, no. Now that she suspected that was not his first round of killing people with a sword, he would not just up and leave because she had seen.

No, it would be more likely that _she_ would "simply disappear." Except she had not. For a week she did not see hide nor hair of him, and no unfortunate mishaps tried to end her existence.

And yet, when he walked through that door her only reaction was a tighter grip on her towel and the sudden dryness in her mouth. Truly, she half wondered if she might panic and bolt.

But he made no indicator that anything had changed. He took his usual spot and waited. He did not even act like he had taken a serious beating a week prior.

Who was she to not oblige? Well, apparently not a person of self-preservation or _sanity_ because any _sane_ person who had seen what she had would have fled. Called the cops. Something.

Instead, she coolly placed his usual on the table and turned to walk away.

"No water this time?"

His words made her stop, and she suppressed the urge to shudder at the deep rumble that barely broke over the backdrop of music and pub chatter. She glanced back at him and silently commended her own composure. Arching a thin brow she replied, "Are you bleeding today?"

She could have _sworn_ she saw the corner of his mouth quirk upward for the briefest of moments before he replied, "No."

"There you have it, then."

She was proud of how relaxed she seemed as she walked back to the counter, because she really was _not._

No more words exchanged that night, but when he left and she went to bus the table she inhaled sharply at the crisp bills sitting under the glass. Easily double what she would have made the nights she missed work. She swallowed, and momentarily humored the idea it was laced with anthrax or something else. After all, he killed with a sword. That took some measure of creativity in this day and age. What was to say he did not want to off her in some other similarly ridiculous and terrorist-like manner?

She pocked the money, and not to her surprise, lived to see the next day.

Their routine continued on.

**XX**

She wondered if he ever came in on Sundays. She never worked Sundays, and at some point the thought had crossed her mind. Did he? If so, did he have someone else wait on him? Or did he leave? Or maybe he knew that, and simply did not come in on Sundays. Really, was she so important that he would adjust his routine to match her schedule?

She almost suspected he had, but chastised herself for thinking such ridiculous things. She really was obsessed with this man. Hell, he had been in her house, and she still did not have a name. He had _killed_ people, and she had _cared _for him.

Kaoru sighed, getting out of her car. She had not walked home since that one night, and truthfully she was glad to have her car back. She did not want to know what else may lurk out on those streets, and suspected if she encountered anything again she would not be so lucky the second time.

She turned the key, unlocking the front door and stepped inside. It was mostly dark in her house, save a few small light sources from various things, casting a sliver of almost ethereal light throughout portions of the house. She moved about the house with ease despite this, having been there long enough to memorize where everything was.

Only once a week did she trip over laundry she had forgotten about. Or Mango.

"Mango, ki-kitty. You hungry?" Kaoru called, pitching the tone she used for the cat. It only worked about half the time, depending on how food motivated the feline was feeling. Apparently, she was not very motivated at the moment, as she did not come from her hiding place. Kaoru shrugged her jacket off and tossed it and her purse onto the dining table before ambling over to the kitchen. The sound of cat food hitting a metal dish came not shortly after. Mango would eat when she was hungry.

Her only obligation fulfilled, the young woman moved into her living room and flicked on her lamp to get some light in the house. The sight that greeted her made her heart skip a beat and she could not help the sharp gasp that escaped her as she jumped back.

He sat there on her sofa, amber eyes watching her carefully. He had taken one of her towels—an old one that had seen better days—and had laid it out to sit on it. The red staining on it indicated why. One arm was tucked against his chest protectively, the other gripped the weapon in his hands tightly. It was sheathed, but she did not doubt him to be lethal. There was something about him that promised that he was.

She swallowed, feeling the blood rushing in her ears from the surprise, nervousness and anxiety that his presence had managed to bring forth. Her first thought was that he was here to kill her. Except she was not dead yet. Also, Mango was having fun rubbing up against his jeans, purring the whole time.

She really hoped the cat did not get covered in blood. Mango was a _pain_ to bathe.

They continued to stare at each other, as if waiting for the other to make the first move. Her eyes roved over him, assessing his form. His body language, the fact that he was there, the blood...

He was injured, again. But why had he come... to her? Never mind _how_ did he get in?

"I don't have scotch here," She commented softly, surprised at her own nonchalance. He arched a brow at her, but did not respond. She sighed softly, trying not to get irritated. Provoking him would probably fast get her killed. "What do you want?"

Apparently direct questions were more successful tonight than her cattiness. He canted his head slightly before glancing down at his arm. The black fabric was shredded, and yet she could not see skin. Then she realized because it was blood and quite possibly other organic things of the gory variety. He still did not give her a verbal reply, but the insinuation was there. He was probably too prideful to outright ask. She would be incredibly stupid to make him do so, too. Sighing again, she straightened up out of the guarded crouch she had not realized she was in. "I guess you want some help cleaning yourself up."

Odd that he was injured again so soon when after all this time she could only recall actual injuries twice before. Then again, the last one was so recent he likely had not recovered, and ended up hurting himself all over again.

And to think she had called herself ridiculous when she went out and restocked her first aid supplies after he left. Moving past him, she waved him to follow her. If he could break into her house without her noticing, he was probably fine to walk.

Though again, that posed the question as to _why_ he had come to her. "Follow me," She muttered, cursing her luck. She did not look behind her, taking the very _daring_ risk of turning her back on the sword-wielding killer-lunatic (who looked really good in jeans, even if they had a lot of blood on them). She flicked the switch, letting her bathroom flood with light as she began to shuffle through various supplies on a set of wicker shelves and drawers. He stood in the doorway, and she could feel his gaze on her. She did not stop, fingers grabbing at various things on her shelves, placing them on the counter around the sink. "Come here," She commanded quietly, and she was admittedly surprised when he obeyed wordlessly. He stepped up to her, standing in front of her sink. He still held his sword. She ignored that fact, eyes narrowing in scrutiny as she assessed what she needed to do first. Gesturing for him to turn and face the sink, she grabbed a pair of bandage scissors and began to slowly cut away at his shirt. It was ruined anyway.

Idly, she noticed he had taken his shoes off, feet clad only in socks. How strangely polite.

She shook her head, focusing her attention on peeling away strips of fabric. A quick glance at the mirror met his sharp gaze and she quickly returned her attention to her work. Of course he would be watching her. He was crazy. There was very little stopping him from killing her outside the fact that he would lose his personal waitress.

Damn, he must love scotch.

With a purse of her lips, she glanced up at him, meeting his gaze in silent warning before she peeled the remains of his sleeve from his arm. He hissed softly, corded muscle tightening at the pain, and Kaoru was caught between morbid fascination and some measure of attraction. Bloody or not she had to appreciate the way those muscles rippled under his skin for the briefest of moments.

Ugh! Distracting! Setting her jaw, she tossed the fabric in the trash and began the slow and methodical process of cleaning his wounds. She was meticulous, and he tolerated it incredibly well. So caught up in her ministrations, she gave a slight start when he spoke.

"How do you know triage?"

She blinked rapidly, pausing her gauze and antiseptics. "Huh?"

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "You're a bartender. How do you know triage?"

She inclined her head briefly in understanding. "I spent some time in undergrad working in after-hours emergency for a small animal veterinarian."

He shifted slightly as he considered this, pausing when he heard the short puff of air she released in amusement. "You're lucky, though. Usually my first instinct when I see an injured patient is to take a temperature." She paused deliberately. "Rectally."

She lifted her gaze to see his, and she did not think she was projecting the slightly uneasy look he had. Giving a roguish grin, she moved on to her final stage of bandaging the wounds.

It was then she noticed something. Something that she should have noticed when she first got his shirt off.

_There were no other wounds._

It had not even been two weeks ago he had been passed out on her sofa with lacerations over the greater part of his torso. Two weeks was not enough to heal those kinds of wounds, especially with the hack job she did for him. Even with proper medical care, there should be obvious granulating tissue, maybe some oozing... there should be _signs_ that he had been _seriously injured._

No, all she could see were bright pink lines like that of wounds healed within the past few months. She thought back to when she had been caring for him before. What she had originally dismissed as her imagination before was proving to be more of a reality now.

She felt dizzy with the realization, and her hands shook momentarily as she wrapped his arm. In and out her breath came, controlled and steady as she focused on what she was doing, forcing aside the mysteries and the _improbabilities_ that were within the man standing before her. None of him made sense anyway, this was just another line on the page.

She idly noted the red smears on the sink counter. Right, he needed to get cleaned up beyond his arm. Which would be difficult to do with the bandages she had just placed. Ah, hindsight, but it was something she could focus on, something that had a _logical_ solution. Not like the mysteriously absent wounds.

Kaoru flipped the water faucet on, letting it run hot as she grabbed a washcloth. He watched her for a moment before cradling his sword in his bandaged arm and holding out his good hand. She arched a brow, but dropped the cloth into his palm and let him clean himself as she began to put things away. "That was the only injury, right?"

"Yes."

She nodded in satisfaction, shutting the wicker cabinets and turned to watch him, arms crossing over her chest. Most of the blood had been on his clothes, so it took him no time at all to get what remained on his skin, which left his hair. She frowned. Showering was out of the question with those bandages. But it needed to be clean. She could see the blood in it, not to mention smell it. With a resigned sigh, she turned and grabbed her shampoo, conditioner, and a towel. "Follow me," She muttered.

He arched a brow at her, but padded after her into the kitchen. She motioned him over to her sink and he stared. The still arched brow suggested dubiousness.

Kaoru placed a hand on her hip, "Your hair needs washed. This sink is larger and easier, and showering is out of the question with that arm." It made perfect sense; he just needed to not be stubborn.

After a long moment of staring her down in a way that made the hairs rise on the back of her neck, he sighed softly and quietly complied.

**XX**

Never in his life had someone else ever washed his hair for him that he could remember.

He had _not known_ what he was _missing._

It took every ounce of willpower he had to not give any indication of the satisfaction he felt at having someone's fingers massage through his scalp, working loose the night's grime. Her nails, albeit short, nearly sent sparks down his spine every time they scraped along his skin and were he any lesser of a man he might have melted on the floor.

His hand clutched his weapon tightly, the other cradled against his chest as she washed his hair over her kitchen sink. She took meticulous care in making sure she got all the blood out, and he was patient in letting her do so. Why would he not be? He almost lamented when it was finally over and she turned the water off. She wrung his hair out gently, then wrapped her towel around it. He rose when she pressed against his shoulder, allowing her to direct him to a chair at her dining table.

He mentally paused at that.

He _allowed _her to _direct _him.

He sat down quietly and mulled over this fact, half paying attention to the way she rubbed the towel over his head, soaking up the excess water. Few people could give him orders and have him obey. Fewer less could _subtly_ direct him.

He suspected she did not even _know_ what she was accomplishing with him. _He_ did not even know.

Swallowing, he sat perfectly still as she pulled the towel away, eyes cutting to her as she walked back to the bathroom. "Hold on," She called out, tossing the towel in a laundry basket.

He told himself he did so only because he had no reason to move. It was not because she had asked—no, told—him to.

He stared at her as she returned from her bathroom, holding a hair brush, eyes focusing in on the device. Was she seriously...? "There is no need," He murmured quietly.

She paused, glancing up at him. Her expression was pensive, before it smoothed over into something else. "I know, but I don't do half-assed jobs. You must keep your hair long for a reason, right?"

She did not wait for an answer, or his permission, instead moving behind him and gathered red locks in her hands. She was slow, deliberate, and methodical, and he let her.

It did not take her long to finish, but the odd tugging at his hair made him pause in consideration until she stopped and moved away with a quiet, "There."

Balancing his blade in his lap, he reached up and fingered the long plait going down his back, secured with a tie. Quietly, he let his hand fall back to his lap. There was simply nothing he could say to that.

She bustled about, cleaning up, leaving him sitting in the chair lost in his own thoughts. Finally, she stopped, turning to him with an arched brow. "Need anything else?"

"No."

"Mmkay." She set about her evening routines. Were he privy to her thoughts, he would realize that it was not that she was so comfortable around him that she could fall back into her normal routine. No, she _needed_ the normalcy right now or she might have a nervous breakdown.

He watched her for a few minutes before he rolled his neck and stood. She gave him a cursory glance, but did not stop in going through her mail.

"Thank you."

She paused and stared at him, expression once again pensive. He was such a strange man. After a long moment, she sighed. "You need a real doctor to look at that, you know."

He stared back, then canted his head to one side. "I will consider it. Good night."

"Wait."

He was already walking toward the door when she called to him, and he gave her a glance over his shoulder. She had moved across the living room and was walking back with a bundle of fabric in her hands. He stared at her as she dropped her jacket over his shoulders. "You'd best bring this one back. I like it."

He made a noise that might have been amused. "Good night, Kaoru."

She stared at the shut door for several long seconds after he left. She did not have it in her to be surprised that he knew her name.

**XX**

He was not surprised to see the figure sprawled out on his sofa when he returned to his residence. It was not an uncommon occurrence, though it was not necessarily one he enjoyed either. Sanosuke did not always bring good news. It did not stop him from moving into the living area, unzipping the jacket as he went. His injured arm was cradled against his torso on the inside. He had not wanted to bother trying to get it through the sleeve.

"Oi oi oi, what happened to you?" It took the taller man but a moment to draw himself up into a better sitting position, draping his elbows over his knees. He squinted up at the redhead in scrutiny. "Injured again?"

"It is minor."

"Yeah, but... Megumi didn't say anything about you coming in."

The shorter man said nothing, moving about the room. He placed his sword down on the counter separating the kitchen from the living area, and the jacket followed in suit. Sanosuke frowned. "Uh, Kenshin?"

The redhead did not pause, knowing where this was going.

"Why the hell is your hair in a _braid?_"

Well, maybe he had not expected that; perhaps he had given Sanosuke too much credit. Again. Shooting the other man a weary look, Kenshin poured himself a glass of water. "Why are you here?"

Sanosuke stared for several seconds longer. "You didn't go to Megumi, did you?"

Pulling the glass from his lips, the redhead arched a brow. "Why are you here, Sanosuke?" He did not like repeating himself, and Sanosuke knew how to push buttons.

Again, he was ignored. "What the hell happened?"

"Sanosuke." His words came out sharp, and the taller man froze like a deer in headlights. "Why. Are. You. Here?"

Knowing that by now it was a lost cause, Sanosuke dropped the subject, sighing. Standing, he pulled out a small device in his pocket and tossed it to the shorter man. Kenshin caught it, peering at the flash drive. "Assignments?"

"Compilation of information you need to know and jobs, yeah. Shit's gonna hit the fan soon. They're moving in."

"I know."

Sanosuke paused, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily. "Look, you sure you don't want me to call Megumi? I mean, I know how you are and all but..."

"I would prefer if no one else knew I took injury tonight. Dr. Takani included." Although worded like a request, Sanosuke knew better.

"Can I ask why?"

Kenshin paused on his way to his bedroom, hand settling on the door frame, "It is safer that way."

For whom, Sanosuke could only guess.

**XX**

He lay there in the silence of his condo. His bandaged arm rested across his bare torso, and his other cradled the back of his head. The city lights twinkled through the glass of his balcony door against the backdrop of the night. His _katana_ rested above him on the rack, completing the _daisho_ set above his bed. His hair was still in its braid, but he had switched to a pair of loose cotton pants for sleeping.

He could not sleep.

It was not hard to push his work from his mind most times. He had to, or he would have gone insane a long time ago. And he was not yet insane. Perhaps mad, because madness indicated that he had _purpose_. But insane? No, not insane.

He was still driven, but his drives were changing. Just as his body changed. He could feel the tissue mending. It itched, and it had taken him a long time to be able to ignore the desire to claw at his skin as it healed. The bandage helped.

It smelled like her, too.

He sighed softly, closing his eyes. He had never considered himself impulsive, not by any means, but lately he had been the definition of it. He should not have shown up at her house. He should not have continued to frequent her bar. He should not have the urge to go back. He should not have been thinking about her.

Why was he? Why did he do those things? She was an innocent bystander, not even aware of what she was precariously balancing on by being even _near_ him.

Or perhaps not so innocent. She at least had to suspect he was involved in something deep, dark, and absolutely violent. Of course she could not know what or why, but she had to know it was there. And yet she treated him civilly. It was not so fairytale that she did not fear him or any such ridiculous notions, but she treated him like an individual, a _person_. Certainly, there were people like Sanosuke who went out of their way to be civil, even reliable, but they lived in the world that he did. She did not, but she had seen him standing there amongst the bodies, covered in blood and took him in.

It was like she could ignore what he was. And he was eating it up like an attention-starved puppy.

He sighed and sat up, pushing himself to the edge of the bed. That was half of his problem, was it not? It was not so much that he was acting on impulse; her actions, however innocent and unaware she was, kept him coming back. He could not leave his routine with her—he had come to crave it. It was his escape, his happy place away from the world he lived in. There, in that bar, it was his equivalent to a sunny field full of wildflowers. Her smile, the taste of scotch on his lips, the obliviousness the restaurant had to the workings of the underworld; it was sanctuary.

_She_ was sanctuary, and it bothered him in knowing that he was addicted to it. Running a hand across his lips, his eyes focused on nothing in particular. He needed to cut his ties with her. She was in danger being associated with him. If _anyone_ found out, on _any_ side, it would end her life and he could not even pretend that it would at least be quick and painless. Few could place a name to his face—he had had a perfect record of no witnesses up until her—but she was linked to him. And anyone who knew anything would use any leverage they could against the most skilled assassin the underground had ever been graced with. Even his own side, he suspected.

And yet, if he cut ties now, would he be able to bear it? Probably. It would eat at him, drive him crazier than the worst wounds he had ever had to heal from because wounds of the _heart_ and of the _mind_ were far more painful than anything that could be wrought on the _body_, and yet...

He knew he could do it for her. He did not love her, not like that.

But he loved the idea of her. That someone so right in the world, with such consideration for someone like him, existed... he loved that she existed. And he wanted to protect that.

It had been a long time since he truly had something tangible to protect. He fought for a better world, in some roundabout, ruthless, murderous way, but there was nothing to grab at. There was nothing to remind him of what he fought for. It was only a strong mind and broken-record propaganda from his superiors that kept him going.

She, however, was very tangible. He closed his eyes, bringing the tips of his hair to his nose, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. She was very real, and much better than a world of half-truths and stretched thin morals—or a complete absence thereof—that he was perpetually trapped in.

There within lay his problem. Which was the better way to protect her? Away from him, where obvious danger was? He was danger and death incarnate, and for her to be tied to him would inevitably bring her closer to her own demise.

However, if he cut his ties to her, what could happen? Certainly she had done fine for herself up until now. But things were starting to pick up. Street crimes were increasing, as were incidents involving way more civilians than necessary as opposing forces began to lose ground and their control faltered. Her job was right on the edge of a particularly unpleasant sector of the city. If he left, something could happen.

But he was not there all the time, either. Something could easily happen while he was out working, or sleeping, or simply _not around_. It ate at him, and he sighed, walking into his kitchen. Sleep was just not going to come to him tonight.

Neither were answers.

**XX**

Kaoru could not help the slight pull at her lips at the guy taking a seat at her bar. She could not remember seeing him before, and he was not someone who would be easy to forget. He sat there, looking bored, disgruntled, but there was something rather roguish and lazy about him that just amused her. Perhaps it was in the way he dropped his chin on his hand and acted like he might just take a nap right there. The toothpick between his lips slumped, and she expected it to fall from his mouth any moment. His clothes were nondescript, and he did not have any sort of really outlandish physical feature, but his entire demeanor demanded attention.

Shaking her head, she moved over to where he sat and placed the martini glass back on its rack. "Know what you want?"

The guy squinted one eye open to look at her, acting as if it took considerable effort. He thought for a moment, before shrugging a shoulder. "I'unno. Gimme something that kicks. Long day."

She rolled her eyes after he closed his again, turning to peruse her collection. Too bad she did not have any real absinthe. You know, the illegal kind.

With little flourish did she place the glass in front of her patron, and he mumbled what might have been a thanks. At some point during her pouring he had buried his head in the crook of his arm on the counter, so that all that she could see were unruly spikes of brown hair sticking out in all directions. Pulling his head up, he eyed the glass. "Oh, my good buddy, Jack."

She chuckled, "A good friend gives you a kick when needed."

He grinned and pulled himself up so he could drink. "You are very right, Missy. Jack has never let me down."

She could not help returning his grin. "You've just not had enough of him, yet."

He laughed, "I might have to come here more often. Not often are the bartenders cute _and_ witty. What's your name, Missy?"

"Kaoru. You got one?"

"Plenty of them. Not all of them should be repeated in polite company either." He grinned wryly. "Call me Sano."

"Sano. I'll try to remember it." She chuckled, although compared to her average customer, she doubt she would easily forget.

"Well, if you forget, shout something obscene. I'll probably answer," He replied sagely, downing the last gulp of his drink. "Refill?"

"Sure," She grabbed the black labeled bottle and proceeded to fulfill his request when a flash of red caught her attention. Damnit, had she really subconsciously trained herself to hone in on him as soon as he walked in? Placing Sano's glass in front of him, she switched the Jack out for the all too familiar bottle of scotch that she suspected he alone could keep in circulation.

Sano watched her pour the glass. "Taking a drink on the clock?" He teased.

She smirked at him, placing the bottle back. "Nah. I just know my regulars." With that, she pushed away and walked off across the room. Out of curiosity, and a lack of anything better to do than drink, Sano shifted on his stool to watch her. She had a cute butt, anyway. Of course, he was only drawn to it for a moment when his eyes drifted up to a familiar palette of red and black sitting at the booth.

He stared. And continued to do so as Kaoru placed the glass in front of one of the deadly people alive without a _clue_. There was a brief exchange, Sano had no idea what, but what was important in that observation was that he was actually _talking_ to her. And the body language indicated the words were not anything along the lines of "_leave me alone." _In fact, Sanosuke would bet a large sum of money that this was the most receptive he had ever seen that man in all the time he had known him.

That knowledge was paramount, and Sanosuke Sagara was reeling from it.

"Ho-lee-shit..."

And then that gaze met his, and Sano swallowed hard at the intense look he was earning, as if _he_ were intruding. Oh, crap. This was what he had been hiding. _Oh, crap!_

**XX**

Kaoru placed the scotch in front of him quietly, surprised that this time her nerves were faring much better. His hair was no longer in a braid, since it had been the better part of two days since he had visited, but there was a hint of a crimp that he seemed to have tried to brush out. She managed to not smile at how out of place it looked (it was kind of cute, too), and inquired, "Did you see a doctor?"

He tilted his head up at her, eyes peering through strands of red bangs. "It is taken care of."

True enough, he was not cradling his arm against him, and she imaged if she pushed the sleeves of his jacket up, there would be no bandages, either. She did not ask. She would not get an answer anyway. "Fair enough, I suppose." A pause, as if she were considering whether or not to say something. Finally, softly, she murmured, "You should take better care of yourself."

He paused, slender fingers hovering at the rim of his glass that he had been about to pick up. She could not see his expression through the curtain of bangs, but the actions were strange indeed. She frowned, wondering just what he thought of her words. Had she perhaps insulted him? That would be... very bad. For her. She swallowed uneasily, feeling quite cold all of the sudden.

Growing concern almost made her miss his response, very soft and lacking its usual projection. By the time she really acknowledged what he said, he had pulled his glass to his lips, and signaled the conversation was over.

"_Thank you."_

She released the breath she had been holding and smiled slightly, not that he could see it, as he was making a point of not looking at her. With that, she turned and walked back to her station.

His eyes lifted to watch her, before they flickered over to a familiar figure sitting at the bar. He tensed, gripping his glass tightly as he met the man's gaze.

Damn it all.

**XX**

By the time Kaoru had walked the distance to the bar, she had managed to recompose herself. Not that she had exactly lost her composure, but there was always something about him that put her on edge. It was his presence, she could only assume. Something that made her body tense, and her senses heighten and focus on him, like he might do something. A valid concern, although he had yet to do anything _to_ her.

Yet.

Sliding back to her usual perch, she turned to Sanosuke who was watching her with a strange expression on his face. He looked incredibly uneasy and Kaoru frowned. She did not know what to make of that. "You okay?"

Sanosuke glanced down at his drink before offering a half grin. "Yeah, just thinkin' is all. You got a lot of regulars that you know their orders or are you just psychic?"

She laughed a little, pushing back some stray hair from her face. "Just have a few that have their creature comforts."

"Must be hectic to double as a bartender and waitress," Sano commented idly, downing the last of his Jack.

Kaoru paused, thinking. "Nah, I don't do it that often." She seemed reluctant to give up more information to his roundabout questions than she had to. Wise girl, and that made him wonder all the more.

So he tried a different approach. Grinning, he waggled his eyebrows. "Ohh, I get it. Got the hots, eh?" He watched her carefully, baiting her.

She laughed uneasily, and under the dim light he was fairly certain a flush made its way across her face. "You're funny, but no. That guy is just a special case. Want another refill?" Her abrupt change indicated the subject was off-limits.

"No..." Sano muttered weakly, offering a smile as he pulled out his wallet. "Jack's done me some good tonight." '_Because without it I think I might have officially freaked out.'_ "You're a cool kid, Kaoru. Take care of yourself and maybe I'll see ya around again, eh?" He tossed her the cash and grinned. "Keep the change."

He stood and left in what Kaoru almost considered a rush and she frowned. Why did his words sound more like a warning than an actual departing? He had been awfully curious about her redheaded patron. Did he know something she did not?

She glanced down at the money and counted it before a scowl crossed her features. He had shorted her two dollars!

**XX**

He adjusted his jacket as he left the pub, taking the two steps down onto the sidewalk. It was just before close, and there were few people out on the street. A fall chill had rolled in, and he moved down the path towards the nearby parking deck. He was not even half a block in when he stopped. "You cannot hide."

"Ain't trying to," Sanosuke muttered, pushing up from where he was sitting on some masonry. "Would be pointless anyway, with that juju you have goin' on."

He was quiet, staring at Sanosuke with an unnerving intensity. The taller man had a constitution to be reckoned with, and took his stare at full force, meeting him head on. "Look, man. I'm just pretending I saw nothing, okay? I don't know who she is, and I won't come back, and you keep doing whatever it is you're doing. Just leave me out of it."

The redhead paused at this before glancing away, at the ground. "You think it is a bad thing."

Sanosuke made a noise in the back of his throat, irritation mixed with anxiety. "Shit, Kenshin, that isn't my say. Look, you could use a few more friends. Especially _lady_ friends. But, shit, she's got no clue what's going on, does she? Or about you, and if people find out, she is going to be in so much shit it won't be funny!" He took a deep breath, voice dropping, "Not many know your face, but you know there is a leak on our side. It's how that ambush got dropped on you. I know it's damned hard to sneak up on you, but something still could happen. Did you read those reports?"

Kenshin nodded quietly, expression dark. Sanosuke sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I just... be careful, okay?"

For all of Sanosuke's irritating habits, he was a decent guy. The red-haired man appreciated that. Sano had his back, even if he was being a pain in the ass while he was doing so. "You should come back."

"Huh?" Whatever the response he was expecting, that clearly had not been it.

The redhead jerked his head back toward the pub. "I'm not there every night. Would be nice to make sure someone else checks up on her."

Sanosuke stared at the smaller man, before expression softened just a tad. "Yeah. I've missed having a regular joint anyway."

The some of the edge in Kenshin's posture melted at that, and he moved past the taller man. "Thank you."

"Whatever, man," Sanosuke muttered. The words had no malice.

**XX**

Sunday had finally come around. Kaoru might have acknowledged that fact excepting she was enjoying sleeping in. The sun peeked through her curtains and she had managed to once again tangle herself in her sheets quite artfully. On her stomach, with her shirt riding up her midriff, her arm hanging over the edge of her bed, and her sheets quite effectively mimicking a pretzel knot.

Mango decided walking across Kaoru's head was what needed to be done. With an irritated groan, the young woman rubbed at her face and glared at her clock. It was only nine in the morning. She had not even had a good six hours of sleep yet. Still, her bladder was full, Mango was hungry, and she did have to finish the editing on that one client's website. Having two jobs sucked sometimes. At least this one was a work-from-home.

Rolling out of bed and all but collapsing onto the floor, taking sheets, blankets, and a disgruntled cat with her, Kaoru disentangled herself from the kraken of fabric that threatened to consume her and pull her under. With a semi-conscious but triumphant gurgle she pulled herself to her feet, nearly tripped over Mango, and stumbled into her bathroom.

When she did emerge, she resisted the urge to flop back onto the mound of blankets and settled for padding into the main part of her house, Mango following her. She prepared the cat's food on autopilot, fumbled through the routines of making a pot of coffee and then went to boot her laptop.

She stopped and blinked blearily at her living room, and the jacket, shirt, and pants folded on her sofa. She glanced around to make sure there was no mysterious redhead bleeding out on any furniture. The house was absent besides her and her cat.

Figures.

**XX**

**AN:** _To quell some of the concern mentioned from readers last chapter... Kenshin is not a vampire. You would have to bribe me with so much sushi for me to write a vampire fic. Or at least... a typical vampire fic. I suppose I might could write a spoof of Buffy entitled Battousai the Vampire Slayer. Hmm... good thing for you guys I have so many other stories lined up, because that almost sounds like the kind of crack I'd try just to mess with you._

_Also, I struggled very hard with a summary for this story when I posted i__t. Fen, being the exasperating (albeit hilarious) lack of help that he was, offered me this suggestion that was too good to not share, "__A deranged supernatural killer was trying to mind his own business when he becomes stalked by an obsessive compulsive bartender."_

_Greatly appreciated all the feedback from the first part. I did not realize so many were hoping for a story like this from me. :) Keep the comments coming; I love hearing your thoughts. -Phoe-chan._


	3. Part III

**AN:** _I am working on Sortiarius, but slowly. The plot is so intricate (in my head, at least) that it requires dedication. This one is pretty straight forward, and also my detox from a day's wear and tear. Also note, I wrote a good chunk of this under heavy pain killers. Likely, Fen the Awesome Beta has slain any grammatical and structural atrocities. For anything strange beyond that, I do so apologize._

**Warnings:** Violence, language.

_Encounters_

Part III

**XX**

"What do you think your greatest asset is?"

The question made Kaoru pause, lifting a brow as her eyes cut over to the man sitting in front of her with an expression that she suspected was supposed to be thoughtful. It needed work.

Still, she went quiet for a moment, holding a glass in her hands that she had been about to put away. "Hm. Are we talking physical or mental or...?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "Whatever. Whatever you think is the best thing you got goin' for you."

"You first. Gimme an example."

He made a noise, clinking the base of his beer on the surface of the bar. "Well, my toughness."

She tried not to smile. "Toughness?"

"Yeah," He replied somberly, even if the situation seemed anything but to Kaoru. "I've survived a lot because of just how resilient I am."

"Ah," Kaoru acknowledged. She had to wonder just how many of those situations happened because of bad choices. On his part. Like chugging a blender's worth of vodka smoothies then trying to play soccer. Her handful of conversations with this new customer had indicated he was somewhat... reckless. And by somewhat she meant extremely.

Placing the glass up on the shelf, she turned to him. "Does that toughness shape who you are?"

"Obviously." He grinned toothily. "Your turn."

Kaoru tilted her head, sleek hair falling over her shoulders as she thought on it. The door opened and her eyes focused in on the familiar form and she snorted softly. "I would say mine would be my ability to adapt."

Sanosuke arched one brow, then the other before echoing Kaoru's question back at her. "Oh? Does that shape who you are?"

Kaoru grinned as she poured a glass of scotch, and Sanosuke knew without looking behind who was taking his seat. Her answer gave him pause, however.

"How could it not?"

**XX**

She rather enjoyed Sanosuke's company. He must have been sincere about wanting to patronize the bar more frequently, because since that first night he'd made quite the habit of showing up. Four times the first week, and here toward the end of the second he had shown up already thrice. He was a talkative person; full of random questions, strange stories that she suspected were highly exaggerated, and ridiculously comical banter.

It had been a while since she had had interaction like that with someone on a near regular basis, and she was realizing how much she had missed it. It reminded her of college.

She liked it so much she could _almost_ forgive the habitual lack of correct payment he would give her.

Almost.

The other interesting patron of her bar was the same as usual, quiet and habitual. They had not spoken much since the last time he had shown up at her house. In fact, she felt as if he were more pensive than normal. There was a certain... _air_ about him, at least that was the best way to describe it. Something about him suggested a tenseness that had not been there previously. Something was bothering him.

Maybe it was her, even.

She did not question it, as she had no right to. She wanted to, very much so. When so much of her free time was spent thinking about him—wondering about him—she could not help but want to press herself into his life. Yes, she _wanted_ to know the _who_, the _how,_ the _why_ that composed him. It was possible he was simply a serial killer with a penchant for using ancient Japanese weaponry to do the deed. It was possible there was much, _much_ more than that.

She could not—would not—pass judgment on him, on _anyone_, without knowing the details. There were too many shades of gray in the world to make such assumptions. Sometimes it could not be helped. This was not one of those times. And so until she knew, she was reserving her judgment. For now, all that prevailed was a precarious balance of fear and fascination wrapped in compassion. She wondered if he intended to keep things that way. Maybe that was his safety net, if he had such a thing.

Or maybe that was supposed to be hers.

**XX**

Kaoru slouched in her desk chair, glaring forlornly at her laptop screen. It was time to take a break. She knew this, because she had been staring at code for about five minutes straight with no clue as to why the particular element refused to do as she had told it to. Her eyes glazed over, until the letters and symbols simply became black pixels on a white background and she groaned and shook her head, tearing her eyes from the screen. She had been at this for hours, now.

Her salvation came with an interruption of a very peppy, high-tempo dance beat ring tone. She grabbed her phone and noted it was work calling.

"This is Kaoru," She answered without preamble.

"Hey, Kaoru. It's Jimmy." She recognized the voice of her boss well before he ever got to saying his name.

"Yep, what's up?" She kicked her chair back from her desk and stretched her legs.

"I hate to ask, because I know Sundays are your day off, but could you come up here at close and help shut things down? Mary called out and she was supposed to close with the new girl, and I have a meeting I'll be in until late tonight. I've got no one who knows how to do it."

He was talking in an apologetic, rushed tone, trying to explain things before she could have a chance to decline. Kaoru sighed. "Yeah, yeah. As long as I don't have to cover her shift, I can show up at close and take care of it."

"That will be fine. I can manage until my meeting starts. Thanks, girly. I appreciate it."

"Yeah. I'll see ya tonight, maybe."

She hung up after a few more words and sighed. Well, not how she wanted to spend her night, but hopefully she would not be there long.

Her eyes turned back to the style sheet in front of her and she blinked. Aha! There was the culprit in the form of a missing semi-colon.

**XX**

She could have driven, she supposed. Really, that would have been the fastest, most logical thing to do. However, this favor was cutting into her workout time, so she was trying to kill two birds with one stone. Sneaker-clad feet pounded at the sidewalk in a quick, steady fashion as she moved down the road. Her headphones hung around her neck at full volume, which allowed her to both hear the music, and the city around her. She wore a water-resistant jacket over her work-out clothes to combat the weather. There was a light mist that had started halfway into her jog, but it was not too bothersome. The air was chill, but the light layer of clothing she wore and the pace of her jog kept her body warm.

She came upon her workplace a few minutes after eleven, which was when the bar closed on Sunday nights. The neon sign was already off, and the front door locked. Kaoru unlocked the side door and stepped in through the kitchen, turning off her music as she went. Tae waved at her, arching a brow. "Bailing Jimmy out of trouble?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes, giving a nod. "Something like that. Just gonna close everything up front and head out. See ya tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'm almost done here. Been kind of dead tonight, actually. A bit strange."

"Huh." She did not say anything more than that, moving through the kitchen into the serving area. The new girl—Kari was her name—was fiddling with the register, looking about as confused as a ten year old attempting calculus. The relief on her features when she saw Kaoru made the other woman feel less disgruntled about coming in. She ushered the girl on home. Perhaps she could have let her stay and show her how to do everything, but honestly Kaoru wanted in and out as fast as possible. She set to work through her usual routine, calling out a response to Tae's departure as the woman left. The other cook left right after her, and Kaoru was alone except for the light coming through under Jimmy's office door. She had no idea who he was meeting with this week, and figured she would be out and done well before Jimmy could even finish.

It did not take her too long to finish everything up, and Kaoru went through turning out the lights until all that remained was the ever-present glow of the signs around the bar, and the security light towards the back that stayed on when all others were off. It cast a dim glow throughout the area, enough for her to see without running into tables. Quietly, she took one last sweep of everything to make sure it was in the right order when she noticed the bar. Her brow ticked in annoyance. There was a lot she was lenient about when it came to other people behind the bar. Rearranging the bottles was _not_ one of them. Kaoru had an order, a _method_ to how the liquor was organized and everyone _knew_ that.

Except the new girl, which was why Kaoru was not absolutely seething. Kari did not know. Breathing in and exhaling softly, Kaoru let her frustration leave her and she stepped up to put the whiskey back where it was supposed to go. Really? She had put it beside the tequila? What in the world was that girl thinking? And why, gods, was there a bottle of Grey Goose slapped in the middle of the schnapps?

Ooooh!

Chanting some soft mantra of "I will not kill" under her breath, Kaoru was oblivious to the voices behind the office door. It was not until they had escalated to the point of yelling did she stop, a hand reaching for a bottle of rum standing out between Kahlua and Godiva. She was having trouble making out the words, but she could make out the tone.

Panicked.

Frowning, she dropped her hand and began to move toward the door. The closer she got, the better she was able to understand what was being said. It was Jimmy's voice.

He was begging.

Her heart started pounding against her chest and she moved closer to the door, palms suddenly sweaty. Errant thoughts and ideas of what was going on ran through her head, sending her imagination into overdrive as she hovered outside of the office, unsure as what to do. She swallowed, listening to Jimmy's frantic words, high pitched with fear and she gritted her teeth. The only gun in the establishment was in his office. The next closest thing to a weapon besides the spray in her pocket was at the bar, and she feared if she tried to go and retrieve anything it would be too late...

There was a murmur of words that were not Jimmy's, and she heard him screech a pleading "NO!" before there was a dull noise she could not place and the sound of a heavy weight hitting to the floor.

Her breath picked up to a near pant as she began to back up away from the door, instincts screaming at her to move, to get out, to do _something_. There was shuffling and voices on the other side and she took a few steps back, before turning and hurriedly moving across the floor. She heard the door open behind her.

"Leave it for someone else to find. We'll just trash the place and make it look like forced entr—HEY!"

They apparently had not expected anyone to still be inside. She could not help the bubbling yelp that left her as she dashed around the tables, footsteps picking up behind her. She dove behind the bar, dropping down as a gunshot rang out and glass shattered. Her whole body trembled as her fingers grabbed onto the familiar weight of the wood sitting on the highest shelf under the counter. Jimmy would not let her keep a gun there, but a _bokken_ he had not even taken a second glance at. He probably had no clue it was anything beyond a smooth stick. A few more shots rang out, glass crashing down over her, and Kaoru moved because she knew if she stayed still any longer she would definitely be dead.

She pushed out from her crouch, keeping low as she rounded the corner of the bar toward the kitchen. Shots rang out, and she felt a sharp burning sensation in her arm, but did not stop. She burst through the kitchen doors and yanked at the shelves as she ran by, causing them to crash in front of the doorway. She saw movement coming in through the other entrance to the kitchen and brought her weapon across in an arch. The sharp crack of impact sent the man stumbling back, and while she could not guarantee she had broken more than his nose, it gave her the opening to get out the side door onto the street. She jumped the few stairs down into the alleyway and bolted out onto the sidewalk. The noise that followed promised her they were not far behind.

Her first instinct was to run home. Run home and hide. It was with every ounce of willpower did she muster enough clear thought to realize that was an incredibly bad idea. The possibility of shaking her pursuers in that short period of time was low, and she did not want to give them any indication of where she might live. And so she turned down the street in a different direction, her lungs greedily gulping air as she sprinted down the lonely sidewalk in a mad dash. The mist had chilled the air while she had been inside, and the oxygen burned as she breathed it in, but to stop right now would guarantee her death.

She heard a car approaching, accelerating quickly and to her horror did she realize even without seeing, that it had to be associated with those men. Sure enough, as she veered sharply around a corner onto a side street there was a screech of tires to match her, and she saw the car dip toward her on the sidewalk through the reflection of the shop windows in front of her. With a shriek she stopped short as the car crashed into the windows mere inches in front of her, and she scrambled back to get away, covering herself from the spray of glass. Doors opened up as she moved back, and as the man in the passengers' side jumped out, he was met with a fist across the face.

It was not enough to say he was punched. The impact of the fist meeting his jaw sent him sprawling across the sidewalk, his gun flying out of his hands and he tumbled over into a complete roll before his body came to a stop. Kaoru was still stumbling back, even as her brain dully registered the tall, familiar form of Sanosuke melting out of the shadows. He drew a swift kick into the man's stomach that sent him rising up off the ground several inches before ducking as the driver of the car got out and fired at him. The other two were catching up, having traveled on foot, and Sanosuke cursed softly as they rounded the corner, weapons drawn. "Missy, move!"

Although her knees quaked, her heart pounded, and her arm burned... although fear made her want to run screaming, she moved. Not away, not to hide; she advanced, sweating hands gripping her bokken. With sharp agility she dove in and moved around the car, to the side the driver was standing behind for cover. He tried to whirl his weapon on her, but she swung, wood hitting his hand. He yelped, his grip loosening and Kaoru shifted, bringing her knee up into the man's stomach. He doubled over, and she made for the gun in an attempt to wrestle it away from his fingers. He held on and shoved hard, sending her sprawling onto the sidewalk. She winced as a few pieces of glass bit into her skin through her clothes, but the pain was immediately forgotten when the barrel of his gun leveled on her.

There was a flicker of motion above and Kaoru watched in both shock and horror as a sliver of light cut through her opponent from top to bottom, sending blood splattering in all directions. Her lips parted, but no sound came out short of her gasping breaths as she stared up at the man before her, bloodied sword drawn. He glanced at her briefly, his expression checked, before he moved past her and around the car with the grace of a cat.

She watched him, before hands grabbed her under her arms and hauled her to her feet. She cried out, kicking, and she heard a familiar voice let out a few expletives. "It's me," Sano hissed, shifting his weight to the leg that she had not just tried to snap in two. "Fucking hell, you kick hard, Missy."

"What happened to toughness," She rasped back, mouth on autopilot.

"Didn't say I couldn't take it. Just that you kick hard. C'mon, we gotta get outta here." He began to pull her back, and now on her feet she lifted her eyes to the scene before her. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw two more cars round the corner, and she wanted so much to cry out to _him_, but she instead just whimpered, pain and exhaustion settling in.

Her worry seemed to be unwarranted, though. The red-haired man, whose name she still did not know after all this time, moved with speed that made him practically a blur. He wove between the two men who had originally pursued her, and it was like watching something out of a movie. He twisted as gunshots went off, and she could only imagine he was avoiding them all, as he never slowed down, never acted like anything touched him. Instead, she watched him wield his blade with a deadly precision that was so _wrong_ when they lived in a world of weapons that made swords practically obsolete.

Her breath caught as he twisted, sending a spray of blood as one man's head went flying off of his shoulders, bouncing onto the street with a wet plop. She swayed, her weight hitting Sano's chest, and she dully realized he was holding her up as her vision swam. "Hey, hey!" Sano's voice was urgent, but not panicked. "C'mon, pull it together! We gotta move!"

Her stomach lurched violently and she squeezed her eyes shut as Sanosuke growled something dark under his breath, sweeping her up off of her feet. Her bokken clattered to the pavement as he began to trot away with her in his arms.

**XX**

Kaoru had managed to stay semi-conscious as Sanosuke hauled her to a car several blocks away. He helped her get in, and she did not have enough energy to be paranoid that he might hurt her. Things did not line up with him being a homicidal rapist, and so she was just going to have to hope that was how it was. He got into the driver's seat and paused when he heard Kaoru mutter, "Why am I not surprised you drive something that has a spoiler bigger than your trunk...?"

He grinned a little, letting the engine roar to life. "Would you believe me if I said it's stock?"

"No."

"K, good. I'd hate to think you were gullible."

She let out a grunt that may have intended to be indignant but simply came out as unintelligible. Resting her head against cool glass, she grimaced at the stickiness and pulled back. Red smeared down the window and she frowned, reaching up to touch her head. She paused upon seeing her arm, and then her gaze dropped down to her clothes. Good god, she was covered in blood. When did...?

She thought back to the only possible time—when the driver had been practically cleaved in two. She had not paid attention, but she was fairly certain she had been sprayed with his blood.

"It isn't yours," Sano supplied helpfully.

Weakly, she replied, "I know."

He pressed his lips together and offered nothing else after that, driving in silence. After several minutes of making sure they were not being tailed, he began to drive with purpose and destination in mind, eventually pulling into a garage underneath a tall building. Kaoru was half-dozing, not even waking to the beeps as he punched in a security code, and it was not until the car's engine was off did her eyes flutter back open. "Where're we?"

"Somewhere safe, relatively speaking. C'mon, let's get you upstairs."

She furrowed her brow in confusion, but he did not say anything else, moving around to help her out of the car. A little more steady on her feet now, Kaoru allowed him to help her stand and she grimaced at the interior. "Sorry 'bout the blood."

"S'cool," He shrugged, guiding her to the elevator. "Good thing about leather. It cleans up pretty easily."

"Do you know him?" Kaoru asked abruptly as the elevator dinged and they stepped in.

Sanosuke did not immediately answer, staring at the line of buttons before pushing a number. Kaoru idly noted it was floor twenty-six. Finally, he replied. "Yeah."

She seemed to ponder on that answer, but did not ask anything else. Instead, she idly noticed the quality of the floors and lightning as they got off the elevator and moved down the hall. She hoped she was not leaving blood behind, but did not trust herself to be able to look behind her without falling over. In fact, she was only beginning to realize just how out of it she was when she tuned back in to find them both stopped in front of a door that read 2614 and Sanosuke punching in some security numbers. She had not remembered when they stopped walking, or hearing the soft beeping from his fingers pushing in buttons.

He opened the door and ushered her in with a certain amount of protectiveness, well aware that the woman beside him was in a bit of shock. Few people could go through a scenario like that and not come out on top, especially not with her lack of... upbringing. Idly, Sanosuke thought back to the conversation they had a few nights prior. Perhaps he would get to see how well she _could_ adapt, because certainly her life would not be the same from here on out.

"Hey, you wanna go get cleaned up, eh? I need t'make some calls anyway," He suggested, gently pushing his palm between her shoulder blades.

Kaoru blinked out of her trance and finally took in where they were as Sanosuke urged her in and flipped on a light switch. The apartment—condo?—was incredibly _nice._ The car was easier to believe, if only because that seemed very Sano. The apartment, though...she had not expected that. Especially because it was so _clean_. Her only assumption was that he did not stay home very often.

Her eyes skimmed over the leather furniture, the marbled counters, the plush rugs covering rich hardwoods and the collage of muted grays and beige the house was themed in. He could even color-coordinate. If her brain had been in any semblance of working-order, she would have been impressed. "Yeah."

Sano led her past the kitchen and across the living room, pushing open a door. The curtains were pulled back, and even though it was night, there was enough illumination through the large windows to cast a dull glow on the outlines of a bedroom. "Bathroom's through here. I'll be out in the living area if you need anything."

Kaoru nodded, but paused when Sanosuke moved away. Quietly, she murmured, "Thank you."

Sano glanced back at her and offered a half-smile. "Don't sweat it. Now go get cleaned up. You look like you walked out of _Carrie_."

She snorted softly and shut the door behind her.

**XX**

Some time later, Kaoru was clean, wet, and naked. Her clothes were not very salvageable, or at least, she had absolutely no intention of trying to put them back on after showering. Honestly, that was the lesser of her concerns at the moment. Pursing her lips, she glared down at her arm and held it up for closer inspection. To her luck, she had been barely grazed by one of those bullets, creating a superficial wound about four centimeters long. Hopefully she had not gotten that man's blood all in it, though it was a viable concern. She shuddered to think of the possibilities of contracting something bad.

Unfortunately, the wound, although minor in the grand scheme of things needed attention. At least all the little nicks she had received from the various sprays of glass the night before had been just that—nicks. A perusal of the bathroom yielded very little for her to work with. Really, with Sanosuke's tendency toward idiotic and catastrophic stunts she suspected there to be a full medical clinic in here, but no such luck. Finally, after checking one last cabinet, she found a roll of gauze and some appropriate tape. It would have to do.

After wrapping her bicep up so she would at least not be oozing, she secured a bath towel around herself and ventured into the bedroom with intention of scrounging something of Sanosuke's to wear. However, once her feet hit the plush carpet of the bedroom floor and once her eyes fell on the bed, the exhaustion from the night's events fell heavily on her shoulders, weighing her down. Clothes could wait.

With a soft grunt, Kaoru flopped down onto the bed. Wriggling about, she pulled the towel off her body, tossed it on the floor, and then burrowed herself under the sheets. She would likely regret not doing anything with her hair in the morning, but before she could second-guess all of her half-conscious decisions, she was asleep.

**XX**

Kaoru woke up to the familiar weight of a feline sitting on her chest. The sound of Mango's loud purr broke through her slumber and she made a soft noise of protest that went unheard by the cat, who began to nuzzle Kaoru's cheek. Nose full of fur, the woman groaned and ran a hand over her eyes. "OK, OK. 'M'up..."

Peeking an eye open, she was met with the intent stare of her cat, against a backdrop that was _not _her house. The remains of sleep vanished as she sat up, causing the cat to meow in protest and tumble back into her lap. The duvet fell with it, and Kaoru shivered at the lack of warmth. The events from the night prior came flooding back and she inhaled sharply before shuddering and pulling the duvet close to her body. And then, she paused.

Why was Mango here? In Sano's house?

Her eyes fell down to a pile of things beside the door that had not been there the night before. She recognized her laptop case, her duffel bag she used whenever she traveled, Mango's cat carrier, and an assortment of other important things that were hers. Confused, she slipped out of the bed, hearing the soft plop of her kitty next to her, and sorted through her things for something to wear. Perhaps that was the call Sano had made? But he did not know where she lived, so that made no sense. Then again, there was a lot going on that she did not know about. She was too confused to even be bothered by the fact someone had been going through her things. Pulling on some matching undergarments, she winced at the pull on her arm and dully remembered the wound. The bandage had more or less stayed in place, though it needed changing, blood showing through. Sighing, she pulled on a pair of worn jeans and found the first top that would not aggravate her arm and slipped it on. The camisole lacked sleeves to tug at the bandage, and would allow her to be able to keep an eye on it.

Tackling her hair was painful, and she almost regretted going straight to bed last night. However, she managed to not rip out any huge chunks and somehow got it into some semblance of a bun before she tossed the hair brush on top of her bag. Her stomach rumbled, and so she figured she could tackle that first, then worry about getting her arm taken care of. She would need to see a doctor about it anyway, whether she liked it or not. Antibiotics were a must.

Picking Mango up so that she could perch on her shoulder, Kaoru opened the door and stepped out of the bedroom. The smell of coffee hit her nose and she let out a soft hum of appreciation. Her eyes fell onto the form sprawled out on the sofa, an arm draped over his eyes and a foot propped up on the arm rest. There was an afghan throw stretched over his body, that stopped short at his shins and his chest, and the picture was somewhat comical. But if Sano was still asleep, then who...?

She lifted her gaze to the man standing in the kitchen, amber eyes intent on her form. He watched her quietly from behind the counter before lifting a mug of coffee to his lips. Kaoru blinked out of her stupor.

"_Do you know him?"_

"_Yeah."_

She had not wanted to attempt a conversation at that point, but now she was wishing she had. Her mouth dry, she stumbled over her words, "When... um..."

He gave her an oblique look, "Four hours ago."

A quick glance at the nearest clock told her it was almost eight in the morning. Frowning, she took in his appearance. He looked like he had attempted to clean up, but his clothes were definitely from last night, if the staining was any indicator. "Oh. Why didn't you sleep? Surely you're tired."

He blinked at her, and she realized that was the first time she had seen him look confused. The expression smoothed over into something more neutral, and he took another sip of coffee. "You were in my bed, naked, and Sanosuke is on my sofa. The floor is not very comfortable."

That was the largest amount of words he had spoken in one breath, she was certain. However, the meaning behind the words kicked in just a moment later and she stared at him, wide-eyed. "Wait, this isn't Sano's place?"

He quirked a brow at her, eyes flickering down to the man sleeping through the exchange. "Is that what he said?"

"...No, I just... assumed." She was starting to realize how much she was sounding like an idiot.

He lifted the mug back to his lips, and Kaoru could have sworn that the curve in his cheeks indicated he was trying to hide a smile. She flushed uncomfortably and glanced away. "Sorry. Didn't mean to steal your bed."

He shook his head. "It is of no consequence." A pause, as if he was considering saying anything else, before he offered quietly, "I am conditioned for much worse."

She glanced back at him and considered his words before pursing her lips into a thin smile. "Like handcuffs and braids?"

He blinked a couple of times, before he mirrored her slight smile. "Yes."

"S'what I thought." With that, Kaoru moved toward the delightful smell of coffee, and as she passed by the sofa, Mango took a dive off of her shoulder onto Sano's face. He gave a startled shout and flailed, and the cat hopped away with a meow.

Amber eyes watched the mess of a man on his sofa before turning to the woman pouring herself a cup of coffee. "I fed your cat."

She looked up at him and smiled again, "I appreciate it." Her eyes dropped to the floor in consideration before she lifted her gaze back to his. "Thank you."

He knew it was not just for that, especially with the sincerity in her voice. It reminded him of all the reasons he was drawn to her and softly, he could only reply, "You're welcome."

**XX**

Surprisingly, it took a phone call beyond Mango's attack to actually rouse Sano, and with disgruntled, half-awake mumblings into the phone did he drag himself to his feet. Mooching a cup of coffee, Sano gestured some strange signal that Kaoru was certain even the redhead beside her did not know what it was supposed to mean and stumbled out the door. Curiously, she glanced over at the man standing a comfortable distance away, still nursing his coffee. "What was that about?"

He did not answer immediately, as if seriously considering her question. "Work, likely." He pressed his lips together, then added, "Clean up for last night."

Kaoru ran her tongue over her teeth as her brain struggled to fill in the blanks. He lifted his gaze to watch her and the struggle she was having to fit all the pieces together. "Just... what do you do?"

He almost regretted the words as they left his mouth, "What do you think I do?"

"You kill people," She replied bluntly, watching his face school over into a blank mask. She did not let that deter her, continuing with her line of thought. "I have known that since that night on the street. So, I suppose what I am really asking is _why_ you kill. What is it that drives you to do what you do?"

He closed his eyes, taking in a deep, calm breath. Organizing his thoughts, separating them from the emotions that swirled behind them in the recesses of his mind, he cradled his coffee mug in both hands. The explanation was truly a simple one. It was the reasoning that was the hard part to grasp. "I am limited in the details I can give you right now. I am an assassin, and work for an anti-terrorist organization. I kill to make the world a safer place."

He lifted his gaze from his near-empty mug to her, to see her regarding him in a manner that was frankly unnerving. On some level he feared judgment from her, and _only _her, because of the pedestal he had placed her on. However, it was those very qualities that he admired in her that reminded him she would not be so quick to cast judgment.

Black eyelashes fluttered as she glanced down, taking a sip of her own coffee. Never in all of his life had silence been so tense for him. Finally, her voice reached his ears, in that wonderful lilting quality that he did so appreciate. "Do you believe it is working?"

He froze at that. The question was honest, no indication of her own thoughts on the manner. She truly wanted _his_ opinion. She wanted to know if _he_ believed in the ideas and principals that had all but been engrained in him. The same ideas and principals that he questioned every night.

His response, so soft she barely heard it, made her heart ache. "It is very hard to believe in something you cannot see."

He turned to place his cup in the sink, and the ceramic had barely clinked when he heard her place her own mug down on the counter. He lifted his gaze up through his veil of hair in time to acknowledge her stepping into his personal space. He did not pull away as her arms wrapped around him, though he did stiffen, his own held out awkwardly at his sides. He had plenty of time to pull away if he had wanted, but he had not. It had been a long time since someone had embraced him. Her hold on him was gentle, and he reciprocated after a long moment, hands pressing against her back and chin resting on her shoulder.

"Hey," Her voice was muffled, cheek pressed against cotton that smelled like blood. She chose to ignore it.

He made a questioning noise, eyes falling closed as they stood there.

"How the hell is it that you've been coming to my work place for months, been to my house twice, worn my clothes, and I've slept in your bed and I don't yet know your name?"

He was silent for a moment, and then Kaoru felt him move. The soft quivering of his form against his threw her off, before she realized he was _laughing_. Soft, silent, laughter.

His voice was an amused rumble against her shoulder. "Kenshin."

She smiled, squeezing him against her lightly. "Kenshin. About time."

**XX**

**AN: **_I know, not as much KK interaction here, but hopefully the fluff at the end makes up for it. And the Sano-Kaoru interaction. I know there are many questions, and they will be answered! On a random note, I kept mentally picturing Kenshin's coffee mugs to be my favorite set. Which are bright green with yellow polka dots and have frog figurines that sit at the base. They're great, because you hand one to a guest, and they're drinking and all of the sudden: frog. Yes. I know. I have no life. (Quietly sips coffee from aforementioned mug.)_

_Finals are almost done, and then I'll have some short reprieve for the holidays to hopefully finish this and get quite a bit farther in Sortiarius. I also have several drabbles I need to finish to put up in the A&J collection. If you haven't read the few I've posted, go check 'em out!_

_Thanks so much for all the support, comments, and critiques. They truly light up my day, so please do continue!_

_-Phoe-chan_


	4. Part IV

**AN: **_I am so sorry for how long it took to get this up. I had not even realized it had been that long. I was anticipating having almost all of December to write, and then BAM, social life. Sadly, I did not foresee that in my grand scheme of things. Also, the RK live action movie is fantastic. Seriously. I'm in love. _

_I also apologize for Megumi, as I dislike the character and have trouble writing her well. _

**Warnings**: Mild language, some minor violence, etc.

_Encounters_  
Part IV

It took a half hour after Sanosuke had left that morning before everything began to catch up with her. Kenshin had excused himself to properly clean up, and she had taken to staring out at the view of the city from the wall-to-wall windows that spanned the living room. The first thing she realized was that Jimmy was dead. There may have been doubt at first, having not seen his body, but with the way those men had went after her... there was an absolute certainty that he had not been left alive.

She cried for him. Jimmy had been a good boss to her, someone she had known for a long time, and while she had no idea why things had happened the way they did she was certain he had not deserved that end.

It hurt to think of just how messed up things had become in the course of a few hours. Her boss was dead, her workplace trashed—oh, thank goodness she had been the only other person there—those people had tried to _kill_ her, and now she was hiding away in someone else's house with only the edges of the picture in her grasp.

Yes, hiding. The reality of it hit her. No one had outright said anything; but the fact that she had been absconded to a different location and the fact someone, Kenshin she assumed, had went and gathered her most important things to bring to her indicated it was not safe to go home.

It may not be safe to ever _return_ home.

She took a heavy seat on a leather chair, staring out at the skyscraper a few blocks away. Reaching up, she wiped at her eyes, trying to formulate some coherent thought out of the worry and panic that wanted to eat at her. Her life had been turned upside down and for reasons she did not yet even understand.

And now she was forced to put her life and protection in the hands of another, and as much as she was pained at not being self-sufficient, as much as normal logic dictated this was not a good idea...

She knew she could not think of anyone better than Kenshin and Sanosuke to help her.

And yet it still was not comfort enough.

**XX**

He sighed softly as the hot water pattered down his skin in a thick spray, slowly washing away the grime from the previous night. It had been a long night, for more reasons than the usual. Work had started out the same, as it did most nights. It was simply a job. People died by his hand, but it was not personal.

Then Sanosuke called, and it was no longer work. His blade moved for a reason entirely _personal_ and no longer _objective._ It was no longer a job.

It was Kaoru.

He had come to the scene in time to see her fall down to the concrete, and the other man went for his gun. He did not wait—he simply acted, coming down on top of him with a cold, detached method to his actions.

Inside he was raging, but no one could see it. It was his job to remain detached, aloof and impersonal. To lose those qualities in a time like that would be very bad for so many reasons. Even if there had been no survivors, Sanosuke and Kaoru aside.

He received a second call from Sano once they were safe, receiving more detail to the situation from what the other man had pieced together. By that point, Kenshin had backtracked to Kaoru's workplace. It had not been far away, and it was the logical assumption to see if there were clues to what had gone down there.

He found the manager in the office he had seen glimpses of during his frequent patronage. Jimmy was his name. The damage at the bar made it obvious that someone else had been there—likely Kaoru, and had fled. Angry with the situation as it was, he could not help the stab of pride at her ability to make it out of such a situation so well. Few civilians could do that, and it just added to the qualities he admired in her.

However, there was a much bigger picture. Somehow, Kaoru's boss had gotten in too deep with the organized crime of the city, and it had gone south. He was not sure why Kaoru had been around—she did not work on Sundays, but in hindsight he recalled her not being in uniform, either. Unfortunate circumstances, most likely. Wrong place, wrong time, and now she was in far more trouble than she had ever been. Even if he had killed everyone at the scene, there were likely others who had not engaged in the chase. They may have seen her face, or have her name. Knowing she had been in the bar after closing hours indicated she worked there. From there, it would not be hard to grasp her personal information.

His body had moved of its own accord well before his mind had reached the same conclusion, and he had found himself at the steps of Kaoru's quaint house. With the copied key he had acquired after his first time recuperating in her living room—that really did make him seem like a stalker, did it not?—he had slipped inside and gathered her things with haste. It was perhaps a good thing he had been idle and curious the few times he had stayed in her home. He was now fairly acquainted with its layout and where she kept things—likely more acquainted than she would have liked.

Sanosuke had been asleep by the time Kenshin had returned to his house. For whatever reason, the redhead had chosen not to wake him, and quietly slipped by. It took little brain power to guess Kaoru was in his bedroom, and while he had been prepared to see her asleep in his bed, he had not quite counted on her being nude on top of it all. The deduction was not hard seeing the towel on the floor and the lump of dirty clothes in the bathroom. Plus, the bared shoulder that he could make out in the darkness all but confirmed it. Without a sound, he had deposited her things by the door, scooped up the cat out of the carrier, and left her to sleep. He did not want to risk waking her; his own comfort could wait.

Petting the cat had allowed him idle time to think, even if his thoughts had kept straying back to the woman in his bedroom. Whether he liked it or not, he was still male and she was still attractive, and naked in his bed.

And as much as he was begrudged to admit it, he _did_ like it. There was no place for it, but it was there.

He snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he had been standing in the water without actually doing anything for quite some time, short of reflecting on the night. He had no idea what he would do if his superiors came snooping around, but she could not go back home. That said, he would not let her be pulled any deeper into this. A cycle of his earlier thoughts drifted back into his mind.

There were people on both sides who would use her against him, if they knew. He could _not _let them know. Grimacing, he reached for the soap, and tried to figure out just how this was all going to work out.

**XX**

Kaoru had watched the exchange quite carefully, observing the present individuals with much scrutiny. Sanosuke, she discovered, was Sanosuke no matter where he was and who he was with. Whether it was Kenshin, herself, or this other person before her, he acted like himself, consequences be damned. She appreciated that.

Kenshin—she was still getting used to having a name to associate with his identity—regarded everyone around him with an immeasurable amount of stoicism and aloofness. The variations in those qualities were subtle to most, but to her they were all but obvious. He was slightly more receptive to Sanosuke, and Kaoru was realizing there was a certain amount of trust there. It was not quantifiable, but still _there_. Most would not see it, but most had not had the interactions with him that she had. They had not shared her routine with him on a regular basis, for months on end. They could not see it, because they knew not what to look for.

And in simply knowing that, Kaoru knew how much he _had_ opened up to her. Subtle and slight though it was for a normal person, for _him_ it was so much more.

However, right now, she was regarding the third individual whose body language indicated her level of unease. Dr. Megumi Takani was not comfortable around Kenshin, and she could not hide it despite her best efforts. It had taken a few minutes of observation, but Kaoru was realizing it was only Kenshin she felt that way toward. Sanosuke seemed to receive none of the terse responses or animosity from the doctor. Kaoru herself had received very little attention short of a detached, medical approach to her wound on her arm, and the bruises and scrapes acquired from the previous night.

Even still, she had been very minimal in her assessment, and Kaoru belatedly realized it was because Kenshin had been hanging around beside her. Not hovering, not possessive, but just in the vicinity. It was enough for the doctor to be quick and to the point, stating something about antibiotics and needing to close the wound.

Kaoru sighed, finally speaking for the first time, since Sanosuke had deemed it his job to do all the talking (which was slightly exasperating, but he apparently had a story that did not give away anything truthful about herself, so she had no right to complain). "Can you just glue it?"

The doctor paused, pursing her lips. "I can if you are not going to be very active while it heals. Skin glue works well as long as the wound is not aggravated. It has a higher percentage of pulling open."

"I'm under house arrest for god knows how long," Kaoru sighed in response. "It will be fine. I have no intentions of getting caught up in anything violent again."

Not that she had intentions before, to be fair.

Dr. Takani regarded her quietly, eyes flickering over to Kenshin who was simply standing there, arms crossed over his chest. Stiffly, she nodded and walked over to her supplies. "Very well, then, Miss." As she gathered her things, she glanced back at them, lips pressed into a thin line, as if debating on saying something. "I know it is not my business, Battousai, Sir..."

Kaoru did not catch the last part of the sentence since she had paused on the name, quickly realizing it was Kenshin she was speaking to. A codename, perhaps? Sanosuke had not referred to him by the name, but now that she thought about it, Sano had not addressed him while they had been out at all. She decided to wisely follow the same course of action.

She tuned in enough to hear Kenshin reply quietly about something not being an issue. She was not about to ask what she had missed, instead focusing on the sting from Dr. Takani cleaning the wound.

Her mind was a swirl of confusion and pieces of a large jigsaw puzzle.

**XX**

It was slowly eating at her. Kaoru was not an idle person, and she hated sitting around and waiting. Yet, that was what she seemed to be doing. There was only so much entertainment to be found in Kenshin's home. His décor was tasteful, but sparse, and had he asked she would have gladly informed him it was sorely lacking in a game console. Preferably one that included a zombie first-person-shooter.

She had her laptop, but had been advised to keep any internet activity to a minimum. Kenshin had assured her that her location was safe, but it was wise to simply avoid any social media or any online work. It pained her, but she settled for playing a downloaded version of tetris. She could not work out, because of her healing arm, and it was unsafe to leave the building. Kenshin was absent frequently, at varying and inconsistent hours, and she was seeing much less of Sanosuke. At first, Sano had dropped by quite often and she had found herself grateful. However, as the days went by, his visits became less frequent and brief. He dropped a hint of something important hovering in the background, but she gleaned very little more than that.

Still, there had been a bit of time to spend with her roommate, as it were. He spoke little, but whenever he was home he was often in her vicinity. He frequently watched her. She could feel his stare more often than she saw it, but he made a point of observing her. Once, they had sat together on the sofa to watch a movie. Kaoru had fallen asleep, and woke up to the afghan throw tucked around her. Kenshin was tucked into the other corner of the sofa, a book in hand.

Another time they spent the evening out on the terrace with cups of hot tea. Stars were hard to see in the city, so Kaoru instead told stories of star-gazing as a child with her father. She noted Kenshin had listened to her with rapt attention.

And once, she even got Sanosuke to run an errand for her since she could not leave the building. When Kenshin came out of the shower, clean from a night's work, he stepped out into the living room to see Kaoru in the kitchen. She held up a familiar bottle in her hand, one that actually cracked a smile from him. He slipped onto the bar stool as Kaoru pushed the glass of scotch over to him. This time, she joined him with a glass for herself.

Over a week passed. Her arm was healing well, and she had admittedly ignored Dr. Takani's instructions in favor of some light exercise. Simple stretches and the like, a few push-ups, nothing fancy. Kenshin had left sometime early afternoon, and Kaoru had expected the night to consist of leftover onigiri and perhaps watching a movie with Mango.

She could not complain too much on the food part. Kenshin turned out to be a disturbingly adept cook. Disturbing, because the mental image of him cooking in an apron spawned dreams of him killing in one, too.

It was sometime after nightfall when Kaoru heard the front door open. She stirred, half dozing on the sofa with the television as background noise. Her eyes lifted to see a familiar form step through and shut the door, locking it. Immediately the posture and staggered movement suggested something was wrong and Kaoru pulled herself to her feet. Kenshin's scabbard made a particularly loud clatter against the counter as he moved by, letting go of the handle with a bloody hand.

The matter became much more pressing when he all but fell against Kaoru's chest with a grunt of pain. A cold feeling swept through her as she repositioned him and moved him quickly into his bathroom, taking as much of his weight as she could. She had seen him badly injured before, but this time there was a swell of worry that accompanied the event. She could not ponder on it, focused far too much on the bleeding man leaning against her.

Once in the bathroom, he pushed away to lean against the sink counter, fingers leaving red smears wherever they grasped. He hunched over, and she saw his jaw set as he ground his teeth together. She reached around him, turning on the faucet.

"Where are you injured?"

"Side," He hissed through clenched teeth. "Rest of blood isn't mine."

That somewhat relieved her, considering how soiled he was. It took some effort on both their parts to get his shirt off as painlessly as they could manage, and once his torso was bared she found herself staring down a mess of skin and tissue.

She stared with pursed lips for a long moment, feeling a bout of anger surge up inside of her. Anger, because it looked like...

"Did you seriously cut a bullet out with your _katana_?"

He glanced over at her without saying anything, but she was fairly certain she saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. He damned well better be nervous. "Ugh, I can't believe..." She trailed off, words dying on her lips as she stared down at the wound. It had looked worse a moment ago, had it not? Before she could doubt herself too much, her eyes noticed subtle movement. It took her several seconds of staring before her brain recognized what her eyes were seeing.

She chanced a glance to his face to see his eyelids flutter, and sweat beading on his skin. Of course, it made sense. It had to be incredibly taxing on one's system to knit flesh back together on such an accelerated level.

Still, something bothered her. The times before she had seen him injured, it had still taken more time to heal than this. With the rate he was going he would be healed in a few hours. Questions and confusion brewed in her head, but before she could try to formulate them, he gasped softly and collapsed against the sink. She caught him before he could hit the floor, cradling his body as she slid down to the ceramic tiles as gracefully as she could manage.

His ragged, labored breathing was hot on the skin of her arm, and she grimaced slightly, reaching up to push his hair out of his face. He was hardly conscious by this point, and she resigned herself to her fate of sitting awkwardly on the tiled floor until he awoke.

Mango decided to join her and found joy in playing with the shoestrings of Kenshin's boots.

**XX**

It took some great effort to leave the realm of sleep. His dreams left him with merely impressions, as they were sometimes wont to do. Nary a memory of what his subconscious had conjured up remained, and for that he was grateful. Nightmares were plentiful enough as it was. Still, the first thing he recognized was the ceramic pattern on the floor. The second was that it belonged to his bathroom. The third, was that he was at a very strange angle to be in his bathroom. The fourth, and what his mind deemed most important, was the warm embrace he found himself encased in. The gentle movement pressed against his back was telltale of a chest rising and falling with steady breathing. Kaoru's arms were wrapped around him in a loose embrace. She was leaning against the wall, and had his back draped across her chest. Her legs cradled him almost protectively, and he could feel her breath wash over his neck in warm, gentle puffs. The pattern indicated she was sleeping.

It was one of the most soothing "returning to consciousness" experiences he had ever had. He relished the feeling for several long minutes, not wanting to move or disturb the moment. The human contact was refreshing, especially considering who it was from. He was not sure how long he laid there, before his eyes fell onto his shoes, and the mess that were the shoestrings. Mango must have been nearby and quite proud of herself.

A ghost of a smile touched his features before he reached up to feel the wound on his side. The skin was tender and uneven, puckering up around the center part of the wound that had yet to heal over. He wondered just how long he had been out for it to heal like that.

"Good morning." Kaoru's voice was throaty with sleep, and Kenshin had to admit he liked the way it sounded. Shifting, he angled his head so he could look at her out of the corner of his eye. She blinked blearily at him, trying to wake up. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," He replied softly, voice barely audible. Truthfully, he felt far from "fine" but compared to before he had passed out, he felt great. Half-lidded eyes watched her, fighting fatigue. "How long was I out?"

"Mm..." Kaoru hummed softly in thought, glancing around. "I dunno. Maybe an hour?"

He paused at that, mentally frowning. Only an hour? Perhaps her sense of time was off. "Are you sure?"

Kaoru shifted, craning her neck to look out into Kenshin's bedroom. She could just barely make out the digital clock beside his bed, the red numbers glowing in the darkness of the room. "Little over an hour it looks like, yeah."

He quietly absorbed this information, considering just what it meant. His regeneration was rapidly improving, and he was not sure why. What was it Dr. Takani had said? About missing his check-ups?

_'I know it is not my business, Battousai, Sir, but it has been a long time since you have had your system evaluated. I do not think they will let you go for much longer...'_ She had trailed off after that, not wishing to say anything more. Reputation and rumor preceded him, instilling a fear in her about what he was. He had no made effort to correct it, either. It was better if she did not get too close, after all.

Still, he had dismissed it, and the underlying, unspoken words that had gone with it. That was: sooner or later, they would demand he come in for a "health check." He had been doing quite well for several months now, finding reason to evade them. And then, he had taken serious injury that should have sent him straight to Dr. Takani, as soon as _they_ had gotten wind, but Kaoru had shown up...

He would be lying if he said he had not used her to his advantage after that, helping him avoid white walls and diagnostic equipment. If he did not sustain injury in the eyes of his superiors, he could argue he did not need to go in for "health checks."

He had wondered how long they would buy that before they forced him to go back. He knew he was being granted some leniency because of who he was, but even that only went so far. He loathed the idea of returning. Before, his reasoning had been many things. Sick of being a lab experiment, an object, a weapon, etc. Now though, had they been messing with his system, keeping him from optimal performance? It had been months since he had been in, and in those months he had noticed a slight change in his regeneration. Now there was more than just a _slight_ change.

Had they known he was capable of doing this, and had been trying to control it? Did they know? Could he afford to let them know if they did not? The swirl of questions made his head pound, and he knew he had some time to go before his body was back in prime condition. Belated, he realized Kaoru was watching him with unmasked concern.

He liked being on the receiving end of her concern. Even if it was selfish, he liked having her attention. Regardless, he shifted, slowly pushing himself up out of her arms. She moved too, using her hands to support his body and aid him. "It is best we get off the floor," He quietly offered.

Kaoru made an affirmative noise that turned into a grunt as she rolled her shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness from leaning against the wall. Then with gentle strength did she help him to his feet. Using her for balance, Kenshin kicked off his boots that Mango had untied. His hand moved to his belt, undoing it and his pants followed in suit, adding to the mess of soiled clothes on the floor. By this point, he would normally remove all of his clothes, but out of respect for Kaoru he left his boxer briefs on. He shifted to look at her and gauge her reaction, and instead found her pressing a warm, wet cloth to his skin. He had not even noticed the water running, and felt almost embarrassed by that fact. She gently cleaned him, and unlike last time, he let her.

She was methodical and dedicated in removing the grime on his skin, and despite that, he felt the entire moment was growing intimate. If she felt the same way she was hiding it well, focused intently on her work. It only encouraged him to watch her even more carefully as she moved. Each caress of the washcloth made his skin tingle in its wake, and he knew it was only because of her.

Training kept his breathing steady. Control kept him still. Curiosity kept his gaze on her, watching her with a smoldering intensity. It was probably a good thing she had not glanced up at his face, because he was not so sure what would happen then. Part of him wanted to find out. A very _large_ part. However, practically speaking, he was in no condition to act upon the feelings she was instilling in him, and it was likely unfair to both of them.

Right?

He tore his mind away from the thought of her lips replacing the cloth, setting his jaw and reached up, gently grasping her wrist in his own hand. There was still blood caked underneath his nails, but he looked much better than he had earlier. The contact made her pause and glance up at him, and he watched with satisfaction as she bit her lip upon seeing the look he was giving to her.

"That is good enough, Kaoru." He had not meant to pitch his voice that low, but delighted in the way she shuddered in response. It practically confirmed she felt attraction to him, too. Not that he had not suspected it, but it was nice to have that affirmation.

Prying the cloth out of her hand, he placed it on the counter. "Thank you." Turning, he walked gingerly out into his bedroom, with every intent of going to bed. He needed to properly rest to heal, and if he did not get a break from her he was not sure what he might do. Pulling the duvet back on his bed, he turned and glanced back at her. She stood in the entryway of the bathroom, the light from behind casting sharp shadows over her features. She watched him with interest, concern, and...

A slight smile touched his lips as he slipped into his bed. "Good night, Kaoru."

"Good night, Kenshin."

As he heard her shuffling about in the bathroom, he realized he should have told her to leave the mess until morning. However, sleep was already claiming him, and he felt she would likely ignore him anyway. Idly, he noted the pillows smelled like jasmine.

Oh, right. She had been sleeping in his bed, while he had been taking the sofa...

**XX**

Kenshin awoke to light slipping through the curtains of his windows and the faint scent of coffee brewing. Sighing, he shifted and buried his nose into the pillows, catching the remnants of Jasmine once again. It took a moment to realize the side he had rolled on was his injured one, and no pain accompanied the motion. Blinking, he sat up and pushed the covers back to inspect the area, finding fresh scar tissue in place of the formerly gnarly wound. Yes, he was definitely healing faster.

Refreshed and rested, he pulled himself out of bed and walked into his bathroom to shower. It was no surprise to see the bathroom cleaned of blood and reorganized. He probably would have slept through an earthquake.

In any event, a shower was in order, and that was what he spent the next twenty minutes doing. Once clean, he donned a pair of cotton pants and began to towel off his hair, walking out of the bedroom as he did. He was greeted by the smell of coffee. A fresh pot sat on the burner, and some bagels with cream cheese were laid out on the counter. Kaoru seemed to be nowhere in immediate site, and when he looked around, he caught her sitting out on his terrace, mug in hand.

Draping his towel over his shoulders, he poured himself a cup of coffee, grabbed a bagel, and stepped out to join her on the terrace.

Kaoru glanced over at him, smiling. "Good morning," She offered. She was still in the clothes from the night before, and her hair was a little ruffled from sleep. He nodded to her, taking a seat on one of the chairs. There was a slight chill left from the night, but it did not bother him. Kaoru was only slightly more affected, knees drawn up close to her.

They sat in quiet, but comfortable silence. Kaoru seemed to be lost in thought, thumb idly caressing the ceramic of her mug. Kenshin found himself watching her more than anything else, mostly out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to not notice, gaze off on something in the distance, or perhaps nothing at all.

She broke the silence first, with words that he knew at some point would come. "What is the plan for me?"

He did not immediately reply, brow furrowing ever so slightly. After several moments of thought he spoke, "There are a few things that are being taken care of first, but once they are done, we will be creating a new identity for you and relocating you. It would be in your best interest." He glanced over at her, golden eyes somehow glittering in the mid-morning sun. "Bear with the arrangements a little longer."

She tilted her head at him, giving him a curious look. "You speak as if I find the situation abominable."

"Is it not?" He nodded out toward the city. "You are confined to this apartment. You cannot contact your friends. You cannot contact your family. You cannot return home. Everything you once knew has been turned upside down."

She chuckled softly, which made him blink in surprise. "I knew many people, but had few I considered close. My immediate family passed away some time ago. I am alive, with my health, and I am safe." She reached forward, placing her coffee mug down on the table and crossed her arms over her chest comfortably. "And not everything is upside down."

He said nothing, waiting for her to continue. Finally, she pinned him with a look. "You're the constant in my life, Kenshin."

She stood then, taking her empty mug back inside, and left him to ponder on just what that meant.

**XX**

She did not know why but the more she thought about it, the more it felt like a confession. Of what, she was not sure. Despite what she said, their relationship had changed. Evolved was more accurate. She knew he regarded her with a fair amount of respect and trust. True, she knew little about him. Hardly anything factual. However, she knew _him_. He came to _her_ for support and aid. He trusted _her_ to be there for him.

She trusted _him_ with her life, and had done so since that night in the rain. She understood him. She could not put it to words; it was simply instinctual.

Sighing, she put the cream cheese and bagels away, and went to wash the coffee mug in the sink. Really, she had not tried to think too much on how her life was at the moment. Things really could be worse.

And there was that tiny part of her that enjoyed the change; enjoyed _his_ proximity. It was bad to feel that way, but she could not help it.

Once done, Kaoru dried her hands and turned, only to find Kenshin right behind her. She inhaled sharply, not even realizing he was there.

The towel was gone, and the mug was on the counter. He stood merely a few inches away, an intensity in his gaze much similar to last night. Kaoru met the gaze head-on, unwilling to flinch away from him.

She did jerk slightly when rough fingers touched her chin and jaw in what she might consider a caress. He said nothing, gaze floating over her features in what seemed like an appraisal or assessment. She was not sure if it was mere seconds or minutes before he finally spoke. "It is not a safe life with me, Kaoru."

Much had been unspoken between them up until this point. He was not a man of words, and she was a woman of intuition. She knew little about him, and she was crazy to be okay with that.

She smiled, her fingers coming up to lightly press against his lips. His eyes lowered, almost crossing to watch the movement, and she found the motion to be somewhat adorable. It did not fit her sword-wielding, bad-guy-killing, scotch-drinking patron, and that only added to it. "I beg to differ, Kenshin." Her words were soft, and her eyes focused on her fingers and his lips as she spoke. "I have never been safer in my life since I started serving you scotch." Her hand fell down to her side. "I'm sure there are risks regardless of where I go or who I'm with. And since that is the case, I'd like to choose the life where I know something good is in it, and there for me. Would you not choose the same?"

He stared at her, golden eyes looking exceptionally bright at her. How could she come to such an easy conclusion, when he had spent numerous sleepless nights dwelling on the possibilities? With hardly any meditation she gave him an answer with conviction, and was comfortable without knowing the outcome of her decisions. She was comfortable with her life and knew how she wanted to live it.

She was comfortable with_ him_, and she wanted _him_ in her life.

Stunned by the revelation, Kenshin almost missed the way his body relaxed, tension leaving him. Relief flooded through him, mixed with other emotions he could not immediately name. Apparently, Kaoru noticed the change in posture, because he felt her fingers reach out and lightly grasp his, and he returned the gesture with one of his faint smiles. "Yes. I would."

She gave his hand a squeeze. "Good."

They would just have to figure out the details later.

**XX**

She missed being in her clinic. Even if it was just a cover for what she really did, she enjoyed it far more than the labs she more often than not felt herself trapped within. Because at her clinic, she could pretend she was a real doctor, with real patients and practice real medicine. In the labs, she was a mad scientist with creations and subjects. And, oh, the note-taking. She hated note-taking. She had been stuck almost a week at this damnable computer. She had not been in her clinic since Battousai and Sanosuke had brought in that woman. She wondered just what the story with that was. Even Sano had not been willing to tell much other than she was under witness protection.

"Dr. Takani."

The steady keystroke rhythm came to a stop, and the woman in question turned to find her superior in the doorway. "Yes, sir?"

"I was looking over your medical notes for the past few months, and I seem to be missing some files."

"I apologize. What data is missing from the set?" She already knew, but...

"Specifically, Battousai's system log is incomplete. There is about a four month gap between now and the last dated entry." He gestured idly to the computer before her.

The young doctor glanced back at her work. She had tried to warn him... "That is because that is the last entry, Sir. Battousai has not come back in for diagnostics." She made sure to pitch her tone to slightly perplexed.

He looked absolutely livid, and somewhat frightened. She could not blame him, but made sure to keep her expression the right mixture of nonplussed and nonchalant. His words were sharp, and predicted. "You mean to tell me I have a project that has a four month data gap? We don't even know what Battousai's condition is right now! He could be deteriorating! Why did you not tell me he had not shown up?!"

Megumi had been planning on what to say. She had to make sure it did not fall back on her. She should have been calling him up as soon as the absences started, but she had not. It was not for Battousai, but rather, Sanosuke. The idiot owed her his life for this whole order, because right now her's was hanging on the lie she was about to spiel for his sorry ass. Something about orders and changes in protocol and...

She did not even get to start when an explosion shook the building, throwing her from her chair. The lights went out, and the emergency alarms started shrieking.

She was really missing her clinic right now.

**XX**

**AN:** _I really am sorry for the wait. I just need to stop making promises about updates and setting expectations for myself. Hopefully this piece is not too bad, since it took so long to write it, but I do know it's a bit fast-paced. I hope to wrap this all up in one more chapter, but we'll see. Might need to be broken into two. Also, I have decided to write a sequel to this, for those who might be interested in something after._

Unsigned review responses:  


_Evie: Thanks for the well-wishes on finals and glad you're enjoying the story!  
Fer: Glad you enjoyed!  
Yaymer: Oh, thank you! I'm glad you enjoy the characters and the chapter lengths!  
Joyce: I have a hard time with writing action scenes (but doesn't everyone?) but I'm glad you still enjoyed the chapter! (And yes it is much different than Sortiarius. That's part of the fun!)  
Melay: Nope, not an immortal. ;)  
Guest: Haha! Glad to know Mango and Sano make quite the interesting dynamic. Thanks! :)  
Jly: Oh, thank you! Glad you enjoy it!_

_Comments are greatly appreciated._

_Rainfelt AKA Phoe-chan_


	5. Part V

**AN: **_And here is the final piece for Encounters, with the sequel already well into planning. I appreciate all of your reviews, thoughts, critiques and comments; they've been most wonderful to read. _

**Warnings: **Citrus (woo!), violence, language.

_Encounters_

Part V

**XX**

He hated the sound of his phone going off. Because the only time that phone rang was when work was involved. Everyone _else_ in this day and age texted. Though he was rather glad work did _not_ text him, because then he would dread that, too.

Chewing on the end of a plastic fork, Sanosuke fished about for his phone as it blasted out something metal and quite possibly in a foreign language and answered the call with as much grace and etiquette he could muster. "Yeah?"

Were anyone actually watching him, they would see the color drain from his face.

**XX**

Kenshin had left not long after their meaningful exchange. It had been approaching midday, and he stated that there were things he needed to do. He also promised to bring home dinner. Before he left, he had paused, glancing back. His eyes had fallen onto the katana now resting on its place on the wall.

She had hoped he had not minded her cleaning it, but had not dared trying to wake him to ask last night. Blood left on a blade was not good. She never practiced with live steel, but her father had kept a sizable collection of antiques and display weapons when she was a child. She knew how to clean a blade.

After a long moment of quiet thought, Kenshin tilted his head at her, bangs falling across his face. He offered her not quite a smile, but something close before turning back to the door. "Thank you, Kaoru."

He left before she could say anything in return, not that she knew what to say.

Left to her own devices, Kaoru inevitably found herself lost in thought. She was not necessarily the most introspective person in the world, however the recent events and happenings had left much weight on her shoulders and she could only pretend to not think about it for so long. Her life was undeniably screwed up right now. Yes, there was Kenshin, and yes she was crazy enough to be entirely elated by the fact that he was there—with her—but if she took him out of the equation... She was left with a very big series of difficult problems.

She grimaced at the pseudo-math analogy. Things had to be pretty crappy to start comparing them to mathematics. But what could she do? Cry? Scream? Laugh hysterically? Pick up a sword and request to join him in killing things?

She would do what she always did. Things were changing around her, and she too, needed to change.

She just wished the thought was more comforting.

Pining over her thoughts, Kaoru jumped when an explosive sound reached her ears. The building itself shook, and for a brief moment she considered an earthquake, but realized that was not it. Lights flickered for a moment, but chose to stay on, and Kaoru cautiously ventured to the door leading out onto the terrace. Her breath caught when she saw smoke rising up some distance away, and upon opening the sliding door, she could make out the sound of multiple alarms going off. Swallowing down her unease she hurriedly searched for the remote to bring up the news channel.

It did not take long for the station to catch up, interrupting the routine with the breaking story. What Kaoru had not expected was the split screen view of two buildings within the city gone up in smoke. Kaoru recognized them both. The first was the corporate building a few blocks away from where she was. Commonly called the SNBC Building, it was owned by Shishi National Banking Company. The other building she was less familiar with, a prominent medical research center, High Purpose Medical Institute. She could not recall what the institute specialized in.

Lips pressed into a thin line, she could only listen and read the reports, speculations, and numbers as they poured in. Deaths, injuries, missing persons, damages, and concern about additional terrorist attacks on other prominent buildings. Evacuation warnings were put out for virtually both surrounding sectors, and any other major entity within the city that police suspected could be a target.

The sound of the door opening made Kaoru jump, and she turned to see Kenshin come through. He was carrying bags in one hand, testament of his errands. The other hand held a handgun with a strangely elongated neck. Hollywood had taught Kaoru the device was a suppressor.

Before she could even inquire to why he had a gun drawn, he dropped the bags on the floor and tucked the weapon away. "Pack your things. Take only what you can carry. We're leaving."

Kaoru's throat ran dry, her gut clenching. Instead of outright obeying, she found herself asking, "Why?"

Kenshin was moving even as he answered, pushing open the bedroom door. "The explosions were direct attacks to the group I work for. Both buildings belonged to them."

Kaoru followed behind him and began to tuck things into her duffel bag. "Then our security has been compromised?"

The lack of a verbal reply made Kaoru look back over her shoulder. Kenshin was glancing back at her with an expression that made her nervous. She did not like that look of unease that settled on his features. "There were two explosions. They had planned for three."

Confusion clouded her features, but Kenshin was already moving past her, a bag slung over his shoulders. There was a disgruntled meow as Kaoru heard him tuck Mango into her carrier, forcing her to focus on the task at hand. Once she had her things packed, she backtracked to the living room. Kenshin stood there, his sword tucked into his belt, a couple of bags slung over his shoulder and a cat carrier in hand. He moved to the door, stopping only to pick up the bags he had brought up. Kaoru followed him out, and noted with growing unease that Kenshin walked past the elevator to the stairwell.

Her legs were protesting when they finally reached the base level where the garage was located. The door opened into the parking deck, and they moved quickly past the rows of parked vehicles until they came upon a dark, nondescript SUV. Kenshin had unlocked the doors as they approached and proceeded to put items in the vehicle. Kaoru did not need to be told to get inside, letting him pack as she slid into the passenger's seat.

She felt as if she was running on auto-pilot, and was ultimately letting Kenshin take the wheel. How could she not? This situation was completely overwhelming and it was all she could do to keep herself together.

Her eyes flickered over to something strange as Kenshin began to drive through the garage toward the exit ramp. In the corner was a body slumped against the wall, a bullet hole in the head. Beside him lay an open backpack, and Kaoru could not tell what was or may have once been in it. All that remained was various pieces of plastic-...

Her blood ran cold, mind focusing in on the strange picture Kenshin made walking through the door with a gun in hand, and his words that followed. _"They had planned for three._"

They had planned to blow up the building she had been staying in. If Kenshin had not been in the right place at the right time...

With a soft sob the young woman drew her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them, her body quivering in the seat.

Jaw set, Kenshin could do nothing but drive.

**XX**

Kaoru was not sure what day it was. Everything had been a blur, and it was a headache to piece things together. She had no idea how long or in what direction Kenshin had driven. In fact, if one were to ask him how safe of a driver he was, she honestly could not answer. He could have been going down the wrong side of the freeway and Kaoru would have not noticed.

She had paid attention enough when they finally did come to a stop to notice a few things. Mango was yowling as she was wont to do when stuck on a car ride. It was raining outside. And they had parked in front of a little quaint cottage that seemed to belong in a children's movie. She had not asked anything, and now in hindsight she wished she had. It was rather curious and very un-Kenshin-like.

He had promised their safety for the moment, and left with a sincere apology. Thinking back, Kaoru knew he had not wanted to leave her, and felt bad she had worried him so. Now, after a good few days of rest and recuperation, she was thinking much clearly again.

But not too much, because she made the mistake of going into the kitchen to attempt to make food. Her attempt at pancakes was thwarted by realizing the flour that was in the pantry was not self-rising, and she had managed to create some measure of unleavened bread with chocolate chips.

The front door unlocking made her jump and she whirled around, spatula in hand, to see Kenshin entering in through the door. He blinked at her sudden movement, and she thought she might have saw a hint of a smile before he turned to redo the locks on the door. Kaoru noted that for once he had not returned covered in blood, but then took in the time of day. It was late in the morning, perhaps almost noon. Likely, he was not doing his work.

"What are you making?" The question held a note of apprehension, and Kaoru's expression soured, her arms crossing across her chest. This seemed to only amuse the redhead in front of her as he tugged the strings of his boots to loosen them.

"Why that tone?" Kaoru accused, turning her nose up.

"I had plenty of opportunity to hear the cooks shout at you when you entered the kitchen."

Kaoru sighed. Her reputation really did precede her. "Well, I have made pancakes."

Straightening up, Kenshin pulled off his coat and hung it up. "And?"

"...They're a little flat."

"Forgot the baking powder?"

She could hear the amusement in his tone, which made her scowl. "No, you have the wrong flour!"

"Do I?" He placed his holster and gun on kitchen table and crossed his arms over his chest, watching her.

"Yes! Your flour is supposed to be self-rising!"

"Duly noted."

She made a frustrated noise that got a chuckle out of him and turned to her pancake, flipping it and only managing to break it into two pieces. Somehow, even the chocolate chips seemed to be laughing at her.

Kenshin's hand on her shoulder made the hairs on her neck rise. She never could hear him move. His voice in her ear was soothing.

"I am glad to see you lively again, Kaoru."

She could not help but smile.

**XX**

The situation was bad. Both buildings had been obliterated through the attacks, and there were high counts of confirmed and assumed dead. Kenshin mentally poured through the facts in his head. A sizable chunk of the chain of command were caught in those attacks, which had effectively sent the company into hysterics. The police had swarmed the scenes, which made it exceptionally hard to recover a lot of important documentation and data without catching scrutiny. The surrounding blocks for both buildings had been evacuated. The SNBC building's structure threatened to give way at any moment. At twenty-eight floors, the collateral damage would be immeasurable.

Despite his line of work coming to a complete halt, he found himself with no time for rest. He had not slept since the attacks, and it was not until four days after did he finally manage to break away. Toggling between guard duty and escorting, with a few odds and ends assignments, he found that everyone above him was keeping very tight-lipped about what they did or did not know.

He was not surprised. They knew there was one leak. How many more had there been for the enemy to make their move? And surely he was a red flag for what he was and the lack of "tuning" he had received lately.

That line of thought brought the sobering reality with it.

Dr. Takani was missing.

While he held little attachment for the doctor herself, Sanosuke was fond of her. They had known each other before Kenshin had met Sano, and it tore the other man up to know she had not been found. She was on the assumed dead list, which had set off the younger man's temper. Apparently he had gotten into a fist fight with whomever was in charge of the searches, and was finally ordered to go to a safe house and wait.

Much as Kenshin was being ordered to do.

Of course, Kenshin had been straying from orders quite a bit lately. The little house he had procured was anything but a safe house, and yet he felt it offered more protection than anywhere else in the city. It was _his, _not _theirs_, and any leaks or spies, or authority figures could not find him there. They did not know it even _existed_.

Truthfully, he was not entirely sure why he had originally purchased the property some time ago. Vague plans and escape routes in case things went awry (which they had assuredly done). Now, as he pulled into the drive after taking some extensive scenic routes, he was glad.

Getting out, he locked the door and turned to see the neighbor, a little elderly woman, trying to move a large gardening pot to her little storage shed. With a few light steps he crossed the yard, waving. "Let me help you with that, Ma'am."

She looked up, a little startled, before giving him a weathered smile. "That's awfully kind of you, young man. I'm just not as strong as I used to be. Good to know your generation has not forgotten its manners!"

He offered a half-smile, picking up the pot with ease and carrying it inside. "I try. Where you would like this?"

"Oh, right there is fine. Thank you. You let your wife know she is a lucky young lady, all right?"

Kenshin put the pot down quietly, nodding to her. "Ah, thank you. Good day, Ma'am."

As he walked away, he pondered on whether or not he should say anything to Kaoru about that. The line of thought was interrupted by the smell of something cooking in the kitchen as he pushed the key in the door, and the dread that followed when he realized just what that meant.

**XX**

It was not until a zombie was chewing on someone's brains on the screen did Kaoru really realize how late it had gotten. Kenshin had eaten the pancakes without a complaint, then disappeared to shower. Some time later found him curling up on the sofa, not wanting to take the bed that Kaoru had been sleeping in. Nothing she said really changed his mind, either, and he was content to bury himself in a fleece blanket and a couple of sofa pillows. The television was on as mostly background noise, and once Kaoru had the dishwasher going, she joined him on the sofa. He stirred, already halfway to slumber, but did little else as she thumbed through channels.

Truly, she had not remembered settling on a zombie flick marathon, but really her mind had been mostly elsewhere. The sun was setting now, and Kenshin had not stirred from his sleep. She wondered if she truly did not wake him when she got up, or if he just pretended to not wake up. She could not tell, and once the dishes were put away and she had made a trip by the bathroom, she returned to the sofa and the movie with the bad body part props.

Really, that heart looked like it had jello on it.

She did not know when she finally fell asleep, but when morning came Kaoru was disturbed to find herself in the bed, and the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen.

The smell of bacon and coffee was too tempting to resist.

**XX**

He was leaving again. Not that she had expected him to stay, but there was a different feeling when he left now. Before it was a job. A dangerous job, she knew, but there was something... routine about it. Now with the chaos going on out there, with the knowledge that his resources had waned and things had gone to hell, his line of work suddenly seemed a lot scarier.

Her stomach churned when his phone rang. The tight press of his lips suggested he did not like what he was being told. She could not hear the conversation, and truly she did not expect to have him tell her what was going on.

She was surprised when he explained quietly that he had orders to take out a confirmed leak within the remains of the organization. She did not press for more details, happy to have whatever he felt comfortable telling her. He dressed quickly, exiting the bathroom in all black, utilitarian clothing. His hair was tucked under his shirt, and a scarf was wrapped around the lower half of his face. It had gotten cold outside.

Dressed for bed, in a t-shirt too large and flannel pants, Kaoru watched him secure his sword. It was the first time since they had left his home that he was going out on a job, and she was not sure why it bothered her just so much that he was leaving. She shifted, uneasily as he pulled on a coat and gloves. "I should be back in the morning provided the information I have is correct."

He had never given her an estimated return time before.

"If I am not back within twenty-four hours, you are to pack your things and get out of the city. There is a small box in the closet with essentials. Do not wait for me. The bus stop has a route to the train station. Stay in crowds, in heavy light, and keep the tazer within reach at all times. Do not come back."

He had an escape route already planned for her. She swallowed hard.

"Do not contact anyone you know. Not even Sano. Pretend your life here never existed-"

"Kenshin."

He paused at his name, lips parted in mid-sentence as he finished tying his boots. His gaze met hers, eyes almost glittering in the dim light of the room. She was quiet for a long moment, her brow furrowing on her features, her long hair damp from a recent shower. She wrung her hands in front of her, a gesture of unease. That he was acting like this made her nervous in ways she could not describe. It made her heart beat rapidly. It made goosebumps form on her skin.

It terrified her, but it also stirred something else in her.

He stood, walking up to her. "Please, Kaoru.-"

There was a brief moment as she moved in that he pulled in a soft breath before her lips touched his. Eyes wide, he stood there as she kissed him. The gesture was soft, but pointed. It held purpose, and held him captive until she pulled away mere moments later. He stared at her, and she met the gaze with fierce determination. "Don't give me a reason to follow those orders, Kenshin. Be back here in the morning."

He exhaled a small puff of air and nodded once. The rush of air as the front door closed was cold against her arms.

**XX**

She slept somewhat fitfully, tossing and turning through the night. At one point she woke up sweating, and opted to kick off her pants in a half-asleep daze. Come morning, she was both groggy and antsy, wanting to sleep, but unable to quell the unease bubbling within.

She knew until Kenshin was home she would not rest well. Still not fully awake, she walked into the bathroom in a manner somewhat resembling the undead and proceeded through her morning rituals. It was when she was brushing her teeth did she notice the fog on the top part of the mirror that was disappearing.

She blinked, then hurriedly rinsed her mouth out and ran out into the hall. Kenshin looked up from his place in the kitchen, pouring himself a mug of coffee. His damp hair was loose, and he wore only a pair of pajama pants. His eyes fell down to her bare legs, then back up again. "I did not want to wake you."

"You should have anyway," She replied with a relieved sigh, her body relaxing. Reaching up, she ran a hand through messy hair that she had yet to brush. The action pulled the hem of the shirt up on her thighs, barely covering what resided beneath. In her state of still-waking-up she did not notice the way his gaze lingered on her over the rim of his cup. Her words distracted his appreciation. "I was worried."

"It is no different than other jobs," He offered quietly, canting his head at her.

She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "If it were no different, you would not have said all that last night. You're concerned, too. Things _are_ different. It's dangerous out there, and I don't want to see you get hurt." Her voice cracked a little, and she grimaced at her own lack of composure.

He was silent, not knowing what to say. Words were not a strong point for him, and in the light of her growing fears and concerns he really was not sure how to best handle them. It was not that he did not care—far from it.

He watched her move further into the kitchen, noting idly the goosebumps on her arms and legs. Placing his mug down, he walked over to her.

She was surprised when he pulled her up against him and wrapped his arms around her. Her chin hit his shoulder, and she shuddered at the sudden invasion of warmth on her senses. He radiated heat, and she sighed, turning her face into the crook of his neck. His hands rubbed along her back, smoothing the material of her shirt underneath calloused fingertips. He nuzzled into her hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo, and reveling in sensations he rarely experienced.

She shifted in his hold, wiggling her arms loose so that they could wrap around his torso, and the hold she took on him suggested how much she needed this.

He would be a fool to say he did not need it, too.

Gently, one hand came up to the back of her head, fingers smoothing sleep-tossed hair aside. He pulled back to look at her, which forced her to do the same. She was not crying, but the glitter of unshed tears lurked in the corners of her eyes. He was torn between grateful for such sincere concern for him, and distraught that it worried her so.

Trailing his fingers down her jawline and to her chin, he watched her almost sigh at his touch and temptation took over. His hand slid back behind her neck as he dipped in and claimed her lips against his.

He was not sure what he had been expecting, but the way she practically melted against him and began to kiss back tested the boundaries of his self control. Heat spread through his body as he pulled her tighter against him. Her lips were soft against his chapped ones, moving with a building need that was near torturous, and the way her short nails were biting into the muscle of his back was absolutely fascinating.

It had meant to be something simple, something to reassure them both things were all right. It was meant to strengthen their evolving relationship, to be an introduction of possibilities between them. Instead, it was fast spiraling out of control without either of them realizing it. She was more aggressive than he gave her credit for, teeth capturing his bottom lip between kisses all the while her hands roamed along his back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. It made him near-desperate for more, fingers tangling in her hair while his other hand held her tightly to him. And then, she made a noise. A soft whimper when his hand clasped the nape of her neck and that sent him from a simmer to a roiling boil.

His hands slid down to cup her rear, hoisting her up against him. The gasp he got in return was a delicious response, but not nearly as delightful as the way she chose to wrap her legs around him to balance herself, her arms moving up around his neck. He groaned softly into her mouth, only to have it turn into a growl when she squeezed her thighs around him.

He was only half aware of the fact he had moved them to the bedroom by this point, elbowing the door open and practically kicking it shut. That may have been because she had tangled her hands in his hair and was currently showing him what her tongue could do with his. She was making it very hard for him to not just tear her clothes off and pounce. Instead, he somehow found the restraint to plop her onto the bed, going down with her because she refused to unlock her legs around him. He could not complain from that. Now not holding up her weight, his hands were free to explore just what would make her give him more noises like that. Calloused fingers slipped under her shirt, the material riding up as he explored and she writhed against him in a way that was driving him absolutely mad. She had latched onto the junction between his shoulder and neck, suckling with those full, soft lips of hers, and when his fingers found the curve of her breast, she whimpered, arching up against him.

Her reactions made him ache with need, and he gave up trying to take things slow. With little effort, he pulled her shirt off, sending black hair cascading over the tousled bedsheets. She looked absolutely amazing, and he knew there was simply no turning back at this point.

Especially not when she smiled at him.

**XX**

Kaoru sighed sleepily, lulled by the slow, steady beat of Kenshin's heart. His chest was not the fluffiest of pillows, but at that moment she did not give a damn. Curled up against him, with one leg tossed over his, a sheet thrown over the both of them, and his arm around her shoulders, she could not help but feel better than she had in ages.

She felt him shift underneath her, so she lifted her head to look up at him. Golden eyes watched her quietly, tempered by a softness she had not seen before. She smiled at him, and he gave one of those little smiles back, reaching up with his free hand to brush her hair back. "I have to leave again tonight."

She made a disapproving noise, turning her face in against his chest. "Figures."

"I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

There was a moment of silence after that where she chose to life her head to look up at him. He was staring at her, and it almost looked pained. "Yes, I am."

She sighed, any frustration to the situation dying at his words. "Just... come home to me, OK?"

"I will."

**XX**

The rest of the day was spent with Kenshin sleeping or invading her personal space in a manner he would not have done before. It was not a drastic change compared to the average person, but for him it was substantial. More than once he pulled her close to hold her, or to place an idle kiss on her skin, or to simply run his fingers through her hair.

She enjoyed the contact, and readily admitted to herself she could get use to such things from him. Still, by nightfall the pit in her stomach had returned as he suited up for the evening. The phone call he had received made him grimace, and she had to wonder if she was getting better at reading him, or if he was just hiding less and less of his emotions from her.

He held her tightly before he left, whispering to her to leave if he did not return within a day's time. She nodded mutely, took the kiss he offered to her, and felt her heart hit her stomach when the door swung shut.

Sleep did not come easy to her, and when it finally claimed her it was well into the night. She jerked awake some time just before dawn, unsure as to what dream woke her up. The images were gone as soon as consciousness returned, and she was only left with a nagging feeling. She hated it when that happened. Pulling herself from the tangle of blankets and pillows on the sofa, she sighed. Kenshin was not back yet, as she was certain he would have woken her up when he got home. However, it was not quite daylight yet, she had no reason to be concerned yet.

Still, she suspected she would not get back to sleep anytime soon. Yawning, she stumbled into the bathroom to clean up, only to find Mango asleep in the sink. She pulled the ball of fluff out of the basin and plopped her out into the hallway, earning a disgruntled meow and flick of a tail. Kaoru ignored her.

The next thing on her agenda was coffee, and after nearly tripping over the cat lying in the shadows of the hallway, Kaoru cursed irritably under her breath and flicked the switch on to the hallway. The result was a flood of light into the kitchen that was not obnoxiously bright, but enough to see her way around without having to fumble. She began to go through her coffee-making routine in a near methodical way. The routine allowed for her brain to wake up, and as it did she started to get the feeling something was off.

She bit down on her lip, idly drumming her fingers on the counter as the coffee brewed. Something was not right, and it was making warning bells go off in the back of her head.

Pulling one drawer open, she rifled idly through the contents, chewing on her bottom lip. Slender fingers wrapped around a rubber handle, feeling slightly better about the weight of it in her palm. Adjusting the grip until she was satisfied, Kaoru sucked in a deep breath, then spun. She stopped short, knife in her hand coming to a halt when cool metal pressed against her forehead. She stared at the man holding the weapon and tried to remember how to breathe.

He was dressed in black, covering clothes, leaving just parts of his face visible. His features were tall and angular, with dark bangs covering his forehead. He towered over her, and she realized her knife would have probably cut his arm instead of his throat.

The realization that she had been _aiming to kill_ made her heart drop into her stomach, and her face burned with shame, even in the face of the danger she was in.

Her assailant regarded her quietly, and she did not lower her hand, knife inches away from his shoulder. He spoke, voice slightly muffled from underneath his turtleneck. "I have a message for Battousai."

The words made her jump, and she nearly dropped her weapon from her sweating fingers. She blinked rapidly at him, before her eyes narrowed. "I don't know who that is."

"Do not play games with me, woman."

Her temper sparked, and she pulled it back with mental reigns. Through clenched teeth, she replied. "This is no game. I don't know who that is."

He stared at her with hard eyes. "The man who stays here with you—"

"Is just a man," Kaoru finished in a pointed hiss. "He is just a man, damnit. Give him some peace."

There was a moment of silence between the two, before the tall man in front of her pulled back, holstering his gun. "My apologies. I have made a mistake."

She stared at him, saying nothing, but her quick, nervous breaths told more than she wanted. He did not wait on her before speaking again. "Tell the man who lives here this..."

**XX**

Kenshin came home to find Kaoru curled up in the recliner with the fleece around her. She had her knees drawn up to her, and was clutching a kitchen knife in her hand. The puffiness around her eyes suggested she had been crying.

Concerned, he quickly divested himself of his outerwear and shoes in a matter of seconds, peeling the items away from his body. Placing his sword on the sofa as he approached, he assessed her condition. She did not look injured, but something had greatly troubled her. Gently, he reached out and began to pry the knife out of her hand. "What happened?"

She swallowed, her throat dry. "Who else knows about this place?"

His blood ran cold at the question, and his fingers paused on the knife. A swell of anger and protectiveness forced the words from his mouth before he had a chance to temper them, "What happened, Kaoru?"

She shied back at his tone, and he immediately regretted it, pulling the knife free and tossing it back beside his sword. His other hand did not leave hers, and he found her clutching his fingers tightly.

"A man came to visit," She whispered quietly, staring down at the carpet. "I don't know his name. He was dressed for breaking in and had a gun. He wanted to relay a message to you."

He somehow managed to remain quiet and still, letting her continue. Inside, he was raging. She continued, "He said to tell you everything was going to hell, Iizuka played Katsura for a fool, and the project data has been compromised."

Kenshin was quiet for a long moment before he hissed something under his breath that might have been a curse. "Isn't just that. His showing up meant they know where I am, and they probably know I have you with me. In short, we are not safe here."

He pulled her to her feet, ushering her to move toward the bedroom. "Pack your things quickly. We are getting out of the city."

"What of your..."

"I'm through with it. I'm done with it. I want out."

"Kenshin—"

He stopped her, turning her to look at him, grasping her shoulders firmly in his hands. "I want out, Kaoru." His voice was soft, his features pleading. Pressing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes. "I need you safe. I can't do this knowing what could happen to you."

Any questions, protests or argument she could even think to have died at his words, at the desperation in his voice. Exhaling shakily, she nodded against his forehead. "Whatever you want, Kenshin. Whatever you want."

**XX**

It was scary, leaving everything she knew behind. Her work, her home, her identity... it was all being put away to memory. The only constants now were the cat in her carrier and the man beside her. In her hands were papers holding her new identity. At least she was keeping her given name. Trying to answer to something else would just be too difficult to manage. Out of the city, it should not be too big of a deal. At least not compared to starting a new life and trying to put an old one behind her.

She glanced at the redhead who was watching the world around them with sharp, calculating eyes. A small smile touched her features, and when his eyes met hers for a brief moment, she saw a slight curve of his lips in return. It was gone a moment later under the return of his vigilant lookout.

As the train left the station, Kaoru glanced back down at the papers and read over the information once again. Quietly, she mouthed her new name, testing the syllables out against her lips. It was like a written symbol of her new life, of how she had adapted and evolved to keep up with the world she was plunged into.

_Himura. Kaoru Himura._

It was not Kamiya... but it would do.

_Encounters End._

**XX**

**AN: **_Before anyone asks, I purposely left a lot of things unanswered in this! The focus of the story was supposed to be Kenshin and Kaoru's development. Everything else was supplemental, but I intend to clear most, if not all of that up in the sequel, which I intend to make less focused on KK development and more on the world they are in._

_I also apologize for the romance scene. I never know where to cut off for rating's sake, and I'm a bit rusty. Here's hoping it wasn't too disappointing._

**Unsigned Review Responses:**

**Melay:**_ I'm glad I'm not the only one who dislikes Megumi's character. Haha, thanks for reviewing as always!_

**Joyce:**_ I always do enjoy hearing from you! You have such nice things to say! I am sure I left you wondering on Kenshin's background. Promise it will be explained in the upcoming sequel!_

**Lady Dot:**_ I do enjoy rewards (and brownies)! So glad you enjoyed this story!_

**Xx:**_ Thanks for reviewing!_

**Gin:**_ I love that you can reread it and find things you didn't notice before. I never know if I'm being too subtle, but I try to throw in a lot of little details to see who picks up on what. Thanks again!_

**J: **_Aww, a Valentine's troll. Try giving me some actual con-crit if you have something to say. Thanks for the laugh, though!_

_Thank you everyone for reading this, for those who have reviewed, followed, or favorited. I have greatly enjoyed your feedback and hope to see you all for the sequel! If you intend to read it, you will want to either follow me or keep an eye out in the M-ratings. I intend to have the next piece be a step up in content._

_Regards,_

_-Rainfelt_


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